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Saints At Everton The Verdict

A decent performance at Everton but ultimately not our first win at Goodison Park in the Premier League this century due to another defensive lapse.

Saints started well at Goodison Park and looked determined to get our first win at the ground in 23 years, but a failure to take our chances including a missed penalty, aligned with a lapse in concentration that left Richarlison able to run through completely unchallenged leaving Alex McCarthy stranded saw the hosts get a point in a game we really should have won.

Saints should have been ahead before they were awarded a controversial penalty and as James Ward Prowse stepped up it looked like it would be a deserved lead, albeit one that as was confirmed after the game would have been a travestey of justice with Ward Prowse himself not being fouled for the spot kick.

Perhaps he felt a little bit of guilt, he hit the penalty well but six inchest two high and it hit the bar and went over.

But there was no disputing the class of Danny Ings goal, he almost danced past a bewildered Pickford in the Everton goal and poked the ball home on the half hour mark.

There should have been only one winner now and Saints should have added to their lead and could have been 3-0 up as the break neared, but on the stroke of half time we shot our self in the foot again, leaving Richarlison completely unmarked and disecting two watching defenders who had clearly not communicated with each other to only watch as he raced through and lobbed the ball over Alex McCarthy who could do little to stop it.

It was a travesty and ultimately would cost us all three points.

The second half was a little more subdued from Saints, an early Che Adams effort would be the only effort on target in the second half, but they rarely looked like losing the game.

Another promising display, but another one that highlights the need for a commanding organising, experienced central defender in the heart of the defence.

But it is another game unbeaten and another point, but it probably now means 10th place will be beyond us, a win would have seen us leapfrog Everton and be only 3 points behind Burnley in 10th, but now the 5 point gap is surely too much to overcome with only 4 games left.

But there was plenty of good things on display here and we should all look forward to next season with some optimism, but we really do need to sort out this central defensive problem, an issue that has now been going on for 3 1/2 years, surely we will sort it out now.

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