David Moyes and Beto react to Selhurst Park thriller

Everton manager David Moyes has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We did okay. We gave up some chances - the game could have been 4-4 or 5-5 at one point. We are trying to win at the moment but we missed some big chances to make it 2-0. They did as well - but we had a chance to go 2-0 and we didn't take it. Maybe if we had got that after midweek it might have been a different game. Credit to Crystal Palace, they stuck in."

On Europe, Moyes said: "It's amazing that we are actually talking about Everton possibly being in Europe with two games to go - and we're not out of it yet. It's getting tougher every game we're not winning."

Speaking to Sky Sports, Everton's second goalscorer said: "It is a little bit disappointing to get one point - but the game was really difficult. They had really good system. They have good players and a good manager. It is always difficult to come down here to play. We are still fighting. We need to keep going and try to win the next two games.

"You can say it was a missed opportunity but we are still in it, so we just need to focus on the next game."

Knowing that realistically they needed a win at Crystal Palace to keep their European qualification hopes alive, Everton were left desperately disappointed by twice relinquishing a lead against Crystal Palace to draw 2-2 at Selhurst Park.

When speaking to this correspondent in Chicago last July during the Premier League Summer Series, Blues boss David Moyes said: “I wouldn’t want to use the word dream, but I’ve got an ambition to see if I can get Everton back towards European football.

“That’s what I think I have to make my first target. There are nine teams from the Premier League in Europe next season and somehow, we have to give ourselves some goals.

“I could be shooting way above the level, but I feel like I have to shoot high because I’ll not be around doing this for another 10 years and I don’t expect to be. I just want to be able to leave Everton in a good place, whenever that time comes.”

While the Blues weren’t ultimately shooting above the level and they’re still not mathematically out of the hunt, this always felt like it was a must-win game for them and although there was no stoppage time heartbreak for a fourth straight match, having got their noses in front twice, the disappointment is huge again despite this being a performance to take several positives from again.

Jordan Pickford 6

Smart saves either side of the break to deny Lacroix and claw away a close-range effort after Keane tussled with substitute Mateta but will be disappointed he couldn’t keep out Sarr’s wickedly struck shot for the first equaliser although there was little he could for Mateta’s emphatic finish to restore parity a second time.

Jake O’Brien 6

Returning to the club where he failed to make a senior appearance, he found himself mostly having to defend with few opportunities to join in the visitors’ forays forward and Everton could have done with his physicality when Mitchell was left one-on-one with Rohl to put in the cross from Mateta’s goal.

Vitalii Mykolenko 6

Ventured forwards a couple of times early on to supplement the attack but subsequently spent prolonged periods pinned back with plenty of Palace’s threat coming down his flank and he was booked just before the break for pulling down Daichi Kamada.

James Tarkowski 7

A hero in both penalty areas, the Everton captain was the calmest man in Selhurst Park as he coolly took his back post opportunity with the ease of a prolific striker rather than centre-back to fire his side in front before deflecting a Chris Richards header over the bar to safety and then playing the through-ball to Beto to restore the visitors’ advantage.

Michael Keane 5

Fairly solid overall but was outdone twice in the build-up to Palace’s first equaliser as first Jorgen Strand Larsen beat him in the air and then he could only clear into Sarr’s path while neither he nor Tarkowski could get close enough to Mateta for the second.

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Iliman Ndiaye has gone across to the right after that change, George moving to the left. The sub does well to help out at the back in one of his first acts of involvement. Everton need him going forward but are defending here as Mateta gets past Mykolenko, who stays down (is now up) and picks out Sarr in the middle. He tries to control instead of shoot and doesn't get it right, allowing Tarkowski to get across before the flag goes up.

Palace now want a penalty as Kamada goes down after nipping past Tarkowski. Ref waves play on and it looked like he played for that. Might have been outside area too.

Ndiaye intercepts a ball from Richards and Everton threaten to go forward before going backwards. Trying to exert some control on this game as the away end continues to belt out their songs. The ball goes forward and Barry keeps hold of it in the opposition area before releasing it out wide. O'Brien wins a throw-in which will be sent deep into the box but it is half cleared before popping out to the right. Another clearance leads to scrappy play on halfwat and Palace now emerge and attack but Tarkowski deals with the cross from the Everton right.

The ball is sent back in and Sarr takes it down and goes down while surrounded by yellow shirts. Calls for a penalty are waved away.

Palace build again though. Mitchell, who has been brilliant, gets behind past Rohl down the right and pulls back to an unmarked Mateta who rifles in.

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