LONDON (Reuters) -Everton ended Crystal Palace’s winning run under returning coach Roy Hodgson when they held out for a 0-0 Premier League draw at Selhurst Park on Saturday but the Merseyside club dropped into the relegation zone.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between but Everton’s Alex Iwobi forced an excellent low stop from goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, while Palace’s Eberechi Eze had the ball in the back of the net but was correctly adjudged offside.
Everton finished the game with 10 men when Mason Holgate, making his first start since early November, received a second yellow card, though it appeared a harsh decision from referee John Brooks as the defender won the ball in the tackle.
Everton drop into the bottom three on goal difference behind Leicester City, who won 2-1 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, having amassed 28 points from 32 games. Palace stay in 12th place on 37 points from the same number of matches.
“We are quite disappointed, we’re in a real battle and we need more. We had the opportunity to pick up three points,” Everton defender James Tarkowski told reporters.
“To grind it out with 10 men is nice but there’s way more from us. We defended well, we had conceded a few goals recently so that’s a plus but we need to do more and expect more from our forward players.
“We have some really talented boys but we need more from them. It has been a tough season and maybe we are losing that confidence.
“The season has not finished now so I don’t look at the table, there’s six games to go.”
Palace had won all three games since the return of the 75-year-old Hodgson to the South London club and dominated the first half but were unable to punish a sloppy visiting side, whose poor passing left them pinned in their own half.
Everton improved after the break and fit-again striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin almost broke the deadlock when his excellent turn in the box bamboozled two defenders but his shot went narrowly wide of the post.
They have now not won in 14 away games for the first time since 1980 and must hope to pick up three points in their home fixture against Newcastle United on Thursday.
Palace might feel it was two points lost but Eze believes it shows more progression under Hodgson against a battling Everton side up for the fight.
“A difficult game, not too much in it. It was scrappy, we did as much as we could but we couldn’t create the chances,” Eze said.
“The way they play it’s difficult to get the ball down and they don’t give you much time. We worked hard and it’s positive getting a point and we just want to keep building on it.
“Against 10 men you want to create and get the ball into their box but it was very difficult and they don’t allow you anything.”
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ken Ferris and Clare Fallon)
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