Yerry Mina’s 99th-minute equaliser saw Everton draw 1-1 with Wolves and give themselves a fighting chance of Premier League survival.
With the Toffees’ relegation rivals Leicester, Leeds and Nottingham Forest playing later in the weekend, Everton knew any result would turn the pressure back on the other sides scrapping to avoid the drop.
It looked like they were heading for defeat when, with almost the final kick of the game, Mina poked home into an empty net to move Everton two points clear of the drop zone with one game to play.
They had started brightly at Molineux too, with Hee-Chan Hwang’s goal (34) coming against the run of play after a sensational break from Adama Traore.
There will be concerns over key man Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was taken off injured once again at the end of the first half. He was also substituted at half time against Manchester City last weekend with a groin strain, and will be a doubt for the crucial final day match against Bournemouth.
Everton could still end the weekend in the bottom three as Leeds face West Ham on Super Sunday, before Leicester travel to Newcastle on Monday Night Football, but they have at least given themselves hope of beating the drop as the relegation battle looks set to go down to the final day.
Wolves almost went ahead inside two minutes – Nelson Semedo drove down the right wing, but his cross could not be poked home by Pablo Sarabia. But Everton soon began to see the lion’s share of chances as Calvert-Lewin rifled an effort into the side netting, before nodding just over from an Alex Iwobi cross.
But it was Wolves who took the lead just after the half an hour. It was a sensational break from Traore, starting from just outside his own area. His eventual strike was pushed away well by Jordan Pickford, but Hwang was lurking to fire home the rebound.
The goal galvanised the hosts, who could have added a second almost immediately but Joao Gomes’ strike was pushed away by Pickford, before Daniel Podence’s looping header went over the crossbar.
Everton were also forced into two changes in the first half. Nathan Patterson was taken off injured, but the real blow came when Calvert-Lewin had to be replaced just before the break. He was touch-and-go for the game having been substituted at half-time against Manchester City, and was unable to even reach the interval at Molineux.
Source: Sky sports
In other news-Murder plot trial puts Latvia bank system in focus
A businessman has appeared in court in Latvia in a murder plot trial that could shed light on the murky past of its banking system.
Mihails Ulmans and his associate, co-defendant Aleksandrs Babenko, are alleged to have paid the killer of insolvency lawyer Martins Bunkus.
Mr Bunkus is said to have uncovered evidence of money-laundering at LPB bank, partly owned by Mr Ulmans. Learn more
