Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton: Dwight McNeil secures first win since points deduction

Dwight McNeil’s clinical strike gave Everton their first win since they had 10 Premier League points deducted as they hung on to beat Nottingham Forest.

The win also helped Sean Dyche’s side, bottom at kick-off after Burnley’s 5-0 win over Sheffield United earlier, move off the foot of the table to 18th.

It heaps pressure on Forest boss Steve Cooper after consecutive home defeats.

Forest piled the pressure on the Everton goal as the game headed towards the final whistle and the visitors were indebted to Jordan Pickford’s late heroics.

The England goalkeeper raced off his line to make a tackle to deny Anthony Elanga and produced a fine diving save to keep an effort from Murillo.

Everton’s margin of victory might have been greater had Beto not fluffed a golden chance and McNeil seen a goal-bound effort cleared off the line.

Forest, who had earlier seen Morgan Gibbs-White strike the side netting and Murillo hit the base of the post, were left to rue missed chances of their own.

Gritty win for Dyche’s battlers

Everton’s first game after they were handed a 10-point deduction by the Premier League for financial rule breaches ended in anti-climax last weekend.

The Goodison Park crowd were galvanised by the sense of injustice but on the pitch they surrendered to a tame 3-0 defeat to Manchester United..

Against Forest, the visiting fans continued to vocalise their views of the biggest sporting sanction meted out in Premier League history.

This time they had something to celebrate at the final whistle though, as Dyche’s side produced a determined performance bristling with the kind of unity which will serve them well as they look to climb out of the drop zone.

A familiar concern of last season’s relegation battle – just who will score the goals to keep them up? – had initially looked to damage those hopes.

Beto, handed an opportunity in place of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, blazed over with the goal at his mercy midway through the first half.

Dyche turned on his heels and exhaled his frustrations with the Portuguese forward’s finishing in the direction of the bench.

The Everton manager’s breath cut through the night air again moments before half-time when McNeil saw his effort blocked on the line by Murillo.

By full-time though, Dyche was cheerfully slapping the backs of Everton’s players after victory was secured thanks to McNeil’s fine strike at the back post on 67 minutes.