Everton 1 Burnley 0: Blues take three priceless points at Goodison
On a blustery day at the Grand Old Lady the Toffees secured an absolutely vital win over Burnley to give themselves a little temporary breathing room in the battle to stay up.
As we all know there was no alternative but for Everton to get all the points this afternoon, they simply had to win the match.
Well they did as a result of Dominic Calvert-Lewin's bizarre goal just before half-time. It was his second in consecutive games and ultimately proved enough to secure the victory.
Missing key midfielders as both Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana were absent, the home side had started nervously and were only just the better team in the first half in what was an understandably an edgy encounter.
It looked as though the opening forty-five minutes would end goalless before the comical error from Clarets goalkeeper Muric just on the stroke of half-time.
Everton really needed a second goal as one is almost never enough but they couldn't get it even though Calvert-Lewin had several other decent chances to score again.
Beto who come on for him (why didn't Sean Dyche give them both a spell together with the team chasing such a vital win!) also had a few half chances which he didn't take advantage of.
Inevitably, there were fears Burnley would get back into the game before Dara O'Shea's professional foul got him dismissed with a straight red card.
But the visitors didn't give up although they rarely gave Jordan Pickford or the Blues defence anything to worry about.
The minutes ticked on and nervously the crowd waited and waited for the final whistle knowing just one mistake or piece of bad luck could swing the match in a different direction.
Thankfully however, there was to be no late drama as we have seen too often this season and the Toffees had an absolutely crucial three points in the bag.
So, at last Everton have ended that terrible thirteen game run without a victory and not a moment too soon. The only dampener on the day was the news that Luton had snatched a late victory against Bournemouth.
Now comes a difficult trip to West London to take on Chelsea next Monday night before another huge home game against Nottingham Forest the following weekend.