Wigan v Everton comment: David Moyes's men freeze as chance to catch up lost

During the 2004/05 season, just a week after they'd produced one of their most memorable displays in years to win 3-1 at Aston Villa, Moyes's men could have built an near-unassailable lead in the battle for fourth place.

However, what followed was one of the dreariest ever excuses for a Premier League football match as Everton - without a shot on target during the entire 90 minutes - slumping to a 1-0 loss at home to an equally uninspiring Blackburn Rovers.

Fortunately for Moyes that year, his team held out to clinch a Champions League spot but given the topsy-turvy nature of English football's top flight this season there is little margin for error.

Curiously, if Everton could have avoided defeated last night they would have enjoyed the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League but such is the closeness in the table beyond the title contenders, their conquerors Wigan are now breathing down their necks a mere three points behind them.

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With so many sides struggling for consistency, a third consecutive European qualification remains there for the taking for the Goodison Park outfit but on this showing much more quality will have to be shown.

Indeed, in the same way that a couple of good results can rocket you up the table a phenomenon Everton have benefited from in recent weeks, if you start to slip up you can soon plummet.

With a trip to revitalised Tottenham followed by an away day at Manchester City and visits of Aston Villa and Chelsea next month, Moyes will have to be wary that his side do not slide back down among the dead men come Christmas time.

In truth Everton looked a far cry from being anything near to a top-six Premier League outfit as they crashed to a first ever defeat at the JJB Stadium.

If it wasn't for the individual brilliance of goalkeeper Tim Howard then Wigan could have been out of sight.

Antonio Valencia slipped past Joleon Lescott far too easily to set up Henri Camara's winner; Phil Neville struggled to pick out any of those fluorescent yellow jerseys all night and Mikel Arteta's set-pieces lacked any of their normal accuracy.

It still remains to be seen just which way this season is going to turn for Everton but their latest chance to build a platform for success has collapsed to the ground in the same manner as Cahill following his last-gasp missed shot.