Pickford on spot to pile more Mersey misery on Hodgson

IT SEEMS harsh given how his team played for 87 minutes, but perhaps we saw here why Roy Hodgson has never won at Goodison Park.

The Crystal Palace boss will point to a pivotal penalty save by England keeper Jordan Pickford from Luka Milivojevic, which certainly changed the narrative on Merseyside.

Yet he must look at himself too. Everton had visibly wilted at that decision and, as the game continued, looked tired and briefly there for the taking.

But it was opposite number Marco Silva who displayed a Midas touch. He gambled in showing the courage to make bold, attacking substitutions to try to win the game.

Hodgson, in contrast, seemed to settle for the point his side deserved at the very least.

And it paid spectacular dividends for the Blues boss. Introducing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ademola Lookman in the 82nd minute, the pair combined superbly to produce the goal that won the game three minutes from time.

And just to rub it in, the third substitute, Cenk Tosun, added a sickening second for the home side two minutes later.

Hodgson spoke afterwards of being unfortunate, of the game-defining nature of Pickford’s heroics. And you could sympathise. But not much. It was Pickford who must take the plaudits for the three points. Two first-half saves from visiting skipper Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate served notice of what was to come.

When the tiring Richarlison gave the ball away after the break, though, the dangerous