“The first half was not one we’d like to remember” – James Garner after defeat to Wolves

James Garner was one of the few standout players for Everton in their dismal 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, leading to an exit in the third round of the EFL Cup.

Accepting the poor first half played by his side at Molineux, Garner says he’s “more than certain” Everton can bounce back from their disappointing cup exit. The 24-year-old was only one of four players with continuity from the Toffees’ previous outing against Liverpool at Anfield with David Moyes making seven changes to his side.

It resulted in a terrible first half where the Blues failed to exert their authority on a hapless Wolves side and instead, conceded a goal at the half-hour mark when Marshall Munetsi converted from close range.

“We weren't at the levels we've shown at the start of the season, especially the first half,” Garner told evertontv. “The first half was not a first half we'd like to remember. Both goals were goals that we could have easily avoided.

“We just weren’t at the races tonight. I think when we brought the subs on, we were a much better team, and we looked like we could maybe go on and get something out of the game.  

“But then, obviously, the second goal goes in and then the game's kind of closed from there. But, yes, I know we need to do better.”

Moyes brought on his usual suspects quickly in the second half, but with Wolves defending deep, they couldn’t fashion out an opening. Tolu Arokodare delivered the sucker-punch just minutes before the final whistle, securing the Blues’ exit from one of their two probable chances at silverware this season.

Believing Wolves’ second goal involved a foul on him in the buildup, Garner added, “Their second goal was a foul on me. He's literally stood on my kneecap.

“I'm not going to go down that easy, but the referee’s mentioned something about it. We were chasing the game and then they go and get the second, so it is tough.

“The fact we were so on top in the second half, and like I said, we could have nicked a goal or nicked two goals, gone on to the next round, but I think it all started from the first half.  

“We weren't good enough; we allowed them to get into their flow and that should have been us.”

Despite the bitter disappointment that has sunk in following Everton’s exit from the cup competition, it’s tough to overlook Garner’s positive start to the season. He was the standout player for Moyes’s side at Molineux as well and came the closest to restoring parity.

Garner’s free-kick struck the crossbar in the second half and he also brought out a good save off Sam Johnstone from a long-range strike.

“I think I played alright tonight,” he explained. “I still need to keep on improving, keep on doing better. I need to start scoring more, I need to start creating more, as well.  

“There's always room for improvement. There's a lot of positives to take, but we just need to put this behind us now and focus on the league, and that's the most important game.”

Everton players will now turn their attention towards West Ham United on Monday night. Returning in front of their home fans at Hill Dickinson Stadium could help the side restore their earlier confidence after consecutive setbacks at Anfield and Molineux over the last few days.

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