Sheffield United head into the international break just above the relegation zone after picking up a point at home to fellow strugglers Everton
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Sean Dyche claims it would have been an "injustice" had Everton left Sheffield United empty-handed. The Toffees were indebted to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for picking up a point at Bramall Lane.
The England goalkeeper pulled off two crucial saves at the death to deny Oli McBurnie. Asked whether the 2-2 draw was a useful point or a missed opportunity, Dyche replied: “It was a useful point in the sense we played well again. We scored two goals and there have obviously been question marks about making chances and not taking them.
"The only frustration is we let two soft goals in. That was more of a team thing, not individuals, the team’s shape, defensively, but another good performance and a performance on the road as well. So frustrated, but pleased overall with the performance levels.”
Abdoulaye Doucoure gave the Toffees an early lead but the visitors were pegged back after a sumptuous finish from Cameron Archer. Dyche's side trailed at half-time after a Pickford own goal.
Read more: What Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom said on Jordan Pickford following Everton draw
When quizzed on his message at the interval, Dyche said: “I just reminded them of the performance levels of the first half. At 1-0 we were on the front foot and then we just came away a little bit and just got a bit sloppy with it and were just waiting for things to happen, which we hadn’t done for the first half an hour so.
"I reminded them about that, about taking the game on again, taking it by the scruff of the neck, which we did do. I was really pleased with the start to the second half, the energy, the quality, I think we kept it up more or less through the whole half, the way we were dealing with it defensively, shifting the ball and getting it into key areas.
“Arguably, you want to score more because of the quality in the areas that we had and the play we had in the box…on the other hand, in the madness of football you can end up losing it. Jordan makes a brilliant double save at the end and you think ‘how mad is football?’ But that is how football can be.
"It would have been an injustice I feel, but it can go against you and it didn’t, so a point on the road and another good performance so we have got to keep believing in that and building on it and get players fit.”
Dyche hailed Pickford's late heroics. “Like everyone, he had some question marks recently because the team were conceding big moments,” he said.
“Every player should be questioned because that’s the world we live in. Every top player gets questioned, that is part and parcel of being a top professional. It should be a stimulus if anything.
“But it shows again what a top keeper he is, I thought his all-round performance was very good.
“He was very unlucky with their second, quite obviously, and made two fantastic saves, when it is really important to do so. If that goes against you everyone is scratching their heads, but he made sure it doesn’t happen.
“The madness of football, we could have ended up losing it; Jordan makes those saves at the end and you think ‘how mad is football?’ – it would have been an injustice if it went against us but it didn’t.”
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