Barry Horne: No draws for concern with battling Blues - Everton FC latest

THE result was disappointing, but I was at the Birmingham game and thought Everton were absolutely fantastic.We started quickly, moved the ball as well as I've seen us move it for a long, long time and Baines, Pienaar and Osman gave us a reminder of what we have latterly become used to under David Moyes.That we could play so well despite an extraordinary list of injuries continues to say a lot about the resolve within the squad.The only thing lacking on Sunday was the second goal which would have put the game to bed.Whilst I thought Stuart Attwell had a great game in the middle, he was clearly let down by his assistant incorrectly flagging Louis Saha offside when Everton were terrorising the Birmingham defence.I thought Attwell was patient with the players and was in no rush to get his cards out - which was fort- unate for Marouane Fellaini - and his only two mistakes cancelled each other out.I felt Diniyar Bilyaletdinov could possibly have been pulled up for control- ling the ball with his upper arm prior to his goal, while Stephen Carr was fortunate to escape when he punched a cross off the head off Saha.So a very disappointing result, but a very heartening and promising display.It's no secret how much I rate Osman and his return was pivotal, but Leighton Baines, too, is becoming a class act. And as for Steven Pienaar, what an enormous relief it was when I discovered he wasn't going to the African Nations Cup.

Source: Liverpool_Echo