Everton manager Frank Lampard admits his side have to build on their morale-boosting win over Newcastle if they are to save their season.
Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Crystal Palace may be something of a distraction with a Premier League relegation battle still to be won but Lampard hopes gaining some momentum can be beneficial.
Thursday’s victory was just the club’s fifth in all competitions since September but Lampard said the boost it had given the squad could not be wasted.
“When you have a night like we had on Thursday, it’s important you take the benefits from it, which is an understanding of what winning feels like,” he said.
“Here this season, we haven’t won enough games. There has been a losing feeling too much.
“The winning feeling and the togetherness and effort that goes into that is an important thing to move forward with.
“I don’t want to lean on that too much, though, because since I’ve been here, we’ve had some good wins and good performances that we haven’t backed up.
“We’ve got three points but that doesn’t mean we’re fine. We’re not. Hopefully the Newcastle win can be a change for us, but we have to make it work.
“One night like that is nothing on its own. Now the challenge is to back it up. To find that consistency in performance is the next step for us.”
The next step is trying to book a place in a Wembley semi-final against a team which held Premier League leaders Manchester City to a goalless draw earlier this week.
“It’s a real big challenge for us. I’ve watched Palace a lot. They’re a hugely-talented squad and I thought they recruited brilliantly in the summer,” Lampard added.
“They’re well coached and have a lot of threats in their team.
“We’re aware of the task ahead of us, but it’s an opportunity for us to get to Wembley.
“I’m a believer in momentum. This club has a really rich history in this competition and I know that means a lot to the fans.
“It’s very important and we must approach the game in that way.”
With England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford missing through illness, Asmir Begovic will again deputise in a competition he has already made two appearances in this season.
The Bosnian kept Everton’s third clean sheet in the last 19 matches in all competitions and his second in succession having also been in side for the victory over non-league Boreham Wood in the previous round.
“It’s one of the most difficult positions in the squad, particularly when you have the qualities he has – he’s a number one in my opinion,” said Lampard.
“He’s always ready, there’s no doubt about that. He exuded calm and was really good for us.”
