Everton 2 Crystal Palace 1: Blues break their duck and secure first win

A Dwight McNeil double secured the victory giving Everton their first three points of this current season and lifting them off the bottom of the Premier League and up to the giddy heights of fifteenth.

Four consecutive losses and then a frustrating draw at Leicester meant this match had become a hugely important one for the club.

So, going into this afternoon there was immense pressure on Sean Dyche and his players with this game really being the proverbial 'must-win'.

That was heightened by the potential consequences of Monday's announcement that Dan Friedkin's investment group had finally secured an agreement to buy the Blues.

With a prospective new owner - and one who has shown little sentiment about sacking managers - Dyche desperately needed this victory to impress his new employer.

One of the biggest questions going into the game was whether the fit again Jarrad Branthwaite would start at centre-back.

He did and renewed his partnership with James Tarkowski, which had proved so effective last season.

However, that didn't prevent the Toffees from conceding after ten minutes with England star centre-half Marc Guehi opening the scoring for the visitors from a set-piece.

And Palace were on top in the first half with Everton looking nervous and inhibited, perhaps understandably given the stakes of the match.

Palace almost got a second - which would have surely killed off the game as a contest - but Iliman Ndiaye cleared off the line to keep the Blues hopes alive.

At the other end Everton were not causing much trouble for the Eagles defence and half-time arrived with the home side still a goal adrift.

After the break the Toffees came alive and Dwight McNeil equalised just minutes after the re-start. Then the former Burnley player netted again seven minutes later to make it 2-1.

Abdoulaye Doucoure had a great chance to put the result beyond doubt when put through on the counter-attack but he couldn't beat Dean Henderson in the Palace goal.

Could the Blues hang on or would they find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once more, as they have so often this season?

Following a nerve-shredding last ten minutes or so and another four or so added on, the referee blew up and Everton had done it - three points at last.