Blues can't find a way through after early exit of talisman Kiernan

CHELSEA captain Reece James walked across to the limping Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and consoled his former teammate as he left the pitch to applause from both sets of supporters.

- By JOE THOMAS

The 27-year-old, Everton's star man through a month of thrilling victories, hobbled straight down the tunnel and David Moyes now faces a nervous wait to learn the severity of the problem.

This scene unfolded too early to declare it a defining moment but its significance was lost on no-one.

Dewsbury-Hall had been Everton's talisman during a run that saw them end miserable records at Manchester United and Bournemouth and at home to Fulham.

He added the gloss on to last week's thrashing of Nottingham Forest and even against Newcastle, the one aberration in an exceptional five-match spell for Moyes, he scored what he views as the best goal of his career.

If the Blues were to end another record of torment, the club not having won in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge since 1994, he would have been key.

In the end, it was the opening act of a 2-0 defeat that held frustration for an Everton team that created a series of good chances they were punished for not taking.