Everton's second-half fightback sees off Palace

Alistair Magowan, BBC Sport at Goodison Park

Frank Lampard described this game as "all or nothing" given Everton's wretched away record, which has seen them win once on the road since August.

And, despite a poor showing in the first period, they somehow managed another second-half turnaround, which has been crucial in keeping them in the Premier League.

Lampard may well question why his side have to play poorly to find the inspiration but, boosted by a support which has had a massive role in their survival, they turned the game around against a Crystal Palace side which had beaten them twice already this season.

Patrick Vieira's visitors were able to enjoy plenty of possession and control the game in the first half. When Jordan Ayew scored Palace's second, it silenced the crowd and they must have felt like relegation was staring them in the face.

But after the introduction of Dele Alli at the break and a move to a more attacking formation, Everton pulled off an incredible fightback to secure their safety.

The party started at the final whistle, with thousands of fans flooding onto the pitch, letting off more smoke flares, saluting their team and manager Lampard.

But he and the club will hope they will never have to cope with a similar scare again given lavish spending on players and a move to a new stadium in 2024.