Jordan Pickford earned Everton a point from a stodgy stalemate with fellow strugglers West Ham.
The England goalkeeper kept out efforts from Jarrod Bowen and Guido Rodriguez and made a stunning late save from Danny Ings as the Toffees bounced back from last weekend’s defeat at Southampton with a gutsy goalless draw.
Crysencio Summerville had West Ham’s best chance when he rattled a post, but in truth neither side deserved a win from a joyless encounter desperately lacking in quality.
It will do little to ease the pressure on Hammers manager Julen Lopetegui following their miserable start but it was at least a second clean sheet of the season and a first at home since January.
Summerville’s defending was actually the highlight of a dreadful opening 45 minutes, the winger chasing back 70 yards to block Abdoulaye Doucoure’s shot.
Everton threatened sporadically with Jesper Lindstrom just failing to find Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the far post and Ashley Young seeing a shot blocked.
Two dodgy attempted clearances from Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski did not exactly fill the home fans with confidence, either.
Summerville’s occasional bursts forward offered some hope but the one time West Ham managed to string more than four passes together, Lucas Paqueta’s final ball just evaded the former Leeds man.
Pickford finally had a save to make in the 44th minute when Paqueta’s cute ball up the line unleashed Michail Antonio.
The striker tried to bulldoze his way through three defenders before teeing up Bowen, with the Toffees keeper palming his shot away at his near post.
Bowen flickered into life again at the start of the second half, shielding the ball from Branthwaite and turning towards goal with Pickford touching his 20-yard drive wide.
Pickford was forced into another save as the hour approached after another Summerville raid, with the ball squirming out to Rodriguez to try his luck from 20 yards.
The game had at least opened up a little and Toffees full-back Vitalii Mykolenko shanked an effort wide before Everton’s best chance arrived, Orel Mangala standing up a cross which Lindstrom headed goalwards and Fabianski tipped over.
Then came West Ham’s big moment, a rare moment of quality as Paqueta dissected Everton’s defence with a fine ball to Summerville, whose low shot across goal beat Pickford only to crash back off the far post.
Substitute Ings had a lively late cameo for the hosts and got a shot away from 15 yards which Pickford dealt with.
The best was to come in stoppage time, though, with Ings’ shot taking a big deflection of James Tarkowski and Pickford somehow touched it over the crossbar to secure a point.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here