Everton 1-0 Brentford
by James Nalton
at Goodison Park

EVERTON manager Sean Dyche had more praise for the Goodison Park faithful after their side secured a vital 1-0 win at home to Brentford.

The victory, which came courtesy of a Dwight McNeil goal just 35 seconds after kick-off, lifted Everton out of the relegation zone albeit having played a game more than some teams around them.

Despite its earliness, few fans would have missed McNeil’s well-struck goal as the stadium was loud ahead of kick-off. 

The old siren sound was back ahead of the traditional playing of the Z-Cars theme as the players enter the pitch, and served to ramp up the volume.

Dyche had praise for the way Everton fans kept this up for the rest of the match.

“The crowd played a massive part for us again today,” the Toffees boss said after the game.

“They’re right behind us. They’re on it from the first whistle and the energy of the crowd helps the players enormously.”

McNeil found himself on the end of a string of passes involving Alex Iwobi and Abdoulaye Doucoure as the ball found its way from one side of the field to the other.

With space to shoot, McNeil accepted the invitation to have a go from what wasn’t the easiest positions from which to score, but did so anyway.

Perhaps Brentford were caught cold on this near-freezing afternoon on Merseyside, and even after conceding it took the visitors a while to warm up and show the urgency needed to try to get back into the game.

Everton had the chances to make the lead more comfortable going in at halftime, but Michael Keane couldn't direct a header from a Demarai Gray free kick with David Raya stranded, and Amadou Onana sent a good chance over the bar.

The ball did find the net for a second time after Ethan Pinnock’s clearance rebounded in off Gray, but it was disallowed for handball.

Brentford improved towards the end of the game and Thomas Frank was more pleased with their second-half performance than with their first, but Everton held on. Everton pre-Dyche may not have done so.

Since the former Burnley boss took over, the Toffees have just three fewer points than local rivals Liverpool and league leaders Arsenal from the same number of games. 

He has brought more organisation and more togetherness to the team and, apparently, to Goodison Park as a whole.