BLUES GIVE APPLAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Grealish and co deserve credit in face of more Anfield misery

- By JOE THOMAS

JACK Grealish led his teammates to the away end and was met with a burst of applause.

Everton's luck has not changed at Liverpool. They leave Anfield with a familiar taste of defeat. But this was not a tale of humiliation, of being outplayed or swept aside by a red tide.

This was another game in which they pushed their fiercest rivals to the edge.

The final minutes of this game were marked by Dominik Szoboszlai time wasting by the corner flag and two desperate, vital back post headers by Milos Kerkez to deny Jake O'Brien what would have been a deserved equaliser.

Put simply, the away end was full because those supporters had a cause to believe in right until Darren England blew the final whistle.

For much of this match that looked unlikely to be the case. There was a sense of anticipation going into this Merseyside derby. Everton have changed since last season.

On and off the pitch the progress is clear - the results to date, the talent they can call upon in attack, the stunning new stadium they now call home. There is a growing sense of confidence led by the words of David Moyes and the swagger of Grealish.

Moulding the new found creative verve around the defensive resilience that repeatedly saved Everton from relegation will take time and patience though. This game came too soon.