Everton earn priceless point after Yerry Mina’s last-gasp equaliser at Wolves

Might Everton look back on the moment Yerry Mina prodded in to salvage an unlikely point deep into nine minutes of second-half stoppage time as a significant step in their fight for Premier League survival? Everton were desperate for something, anything to add to their points tally. Jordan Pickford had gone up for a corner moments earlier.

A blue haze, from flares lit by the travelling support, fell over this ground and the noise booming from the away end at full-time suggested this might just prove a priceless point. Relegation is still a distinct possibility but for Leeds and Leicester, who play over the next 48 hours, this result marks a major blow.

For so long it was hard to think how this bright afternoon could have panned out much worse. Nathan Patterson was forced off inside half an hour because of injury and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was withdrawn at half-time against Manchester City because of a tight groin, did not last the first half here and was replaced by Demarai Gray with stoppage time looming.

Everton’s early promise fizzled out and any belief of recording successive away wins for the first time in two years vanished when Hwang Hee-chan struck after a rip-roaring run by Adama Traoré.

Everton already had to cope without a recognised left-back – Dwight McNeil filled in – and again named two goalkeepers on their bench, such is the dearth of options available to Sean Dyche. Everton loanee Conor Coady was ineligible to face his parent club. Injuries do not help but given the Everton owner, Farhad Moshiri, who is hopeful of selling the club, has spent more than £500m on furnishing this squad, they are alarmingly light in key areas. For the second season in succession, Everton began their penultimate league