A late Toffees goal at the Gtech means four draws in a row

Back to PL action after the International break. We name a strong side at home to Everton, but most of the B team were on the subs bench. We twice took the lead through Thiago but were ultimately pegged back by a resilient Everton side, who struck late to deny us all three points. Thiago’s brace took him to 21 goals and made him our highest goalscorer in a single PL season. There were no signs of rustiness after a three-week break as the Bees got off to a storming start at the Gtech. Schade beat Mykolenko to Ouattara’s through ball and looked to round Jordan Pickford, but the Everton keeper brought him down in the box, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. As he did for Brazil during the international break, Thiago coolly stroked home from 12 yards to give us a lead after only 3 minutes. Everton’s first effort came midway through the half. Branthwaite strode forward and let fly from the edge of the area, sending the ball narrowly wide of the upright. Both sides were looking to play on the front foot. Ouattara and Schade got in each other's way after Damsgaard swung in a cross from the left flank, while Dewsbury-Hall’s low delivery narrowly evaded Beto. The visitors levelled on 26 minutes. O’Brien got the better of KLP (who was appealing for a foul) and rolled the ball to Gueye, who clipped a first-time cross into the six-yard box, where Beto was perfectly positioned to head home. We came close to retaking the lead not long after the restart. Damsgaard sparked a quick counterattack, passing to Thiago on the right, and the striker switched the ball to Jensen on the opposite flank. The Dane cut in from the left and saw his well-struck effort from the edge of the box tipped around the post by Pickford. Jensen’s corner then led to chaos in the Toffees’ box. Schade’s header rattled the crossbar, Ouattara was denied by Pickford on the rebound and Branthwaite blocked Thiago's follow-up effort.

The Bees were denied by the crossbar for a second time at the start of the second half. Jensen whipped a free kick into the penalty area and Collins’ header crashed against the woodwork. We continued to probe. Having drifted out wide, Thiago delivered a deep cross from the left, which was headed back across goal by Ouattara, and Schade’s close-range effort was blocked by Mykolenko. Kelleher was then called into action after a quiet 20 minutes. Ndiaye drove into the box and saw his effort take a wicked deflection off van den Berg, but Kelleher brilliantly kept the ball out with his trailing leg. Kelleher was involved again moments later. Dewsbury-Hall latched onto Pickford’s long kick and raced through on goal, but the midfielder hesitated and the Bees’ keeper raced off his line to make a sprawling save. We were back in front on 76 minutes. Kayode, on his 50th appearance for the Bees, cut in from the right and made a trademark mazy run into the box. The full-back’s poked effort struck Thiago’s midriff and wrong-footed Pickford who had already dived to his right. A mix-up between Collins and Kelleher almost gifted Everton an immediate equaliser, but the keeper eventually cleared the danger. Substitute George drove wide and was then denied by Kelleher at his near post as the Toffees pushed for a late equaliser. Everton’s pressure was rewarded in stoppage time, with us conceding yet another 90+ minute goal. After O'Brien's low drive was blocked by Kayode, Dewsbury-Hall was first to the loose ball in our box and the midfielder lashed beyond Kelleher and into the bottom corner.

We settled for another point. Now four draws in a row. As I have previously written, this season I wanted fewer draws. I would have rather won two and lost two of the last four matches, as we would have ended up two points better off.