FRUSTRATED Jack Stephens described as “really sloppy” the goal which sparked Everton’s revival against Saints on Saturday.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men were in a strong position having gone in at half-time with a 1-0 lead on Merseyside, thanks to Adam Armstrong’s 22nd-minute finish.

But the tide turned within two minutes of the restart.

After Che Adams headed away a Blues corner, Andros Townsend’s header allowed Richarlison the opportunity to drift away from his marker and finish from close range in simplistic fashion.

With their tails up, Everton went on to seal a 3-1 victory thanks to Abdoulaye Doucoure’s superb finish and a late header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Assessing the contest, Stephens told the Daily Echo: “We started really well, got the goal and I thought we played quite well first half and we were frustrating them.

“But then we just made it too easy for them to get back into the game. We came out in the second half and just gave them an opportunity to give the crowd a boost.

“That early goal in the second half – it just gave them a massive boost and it’s just really poor from our point of view and we are really disappointed.”

Quizzed about Richarlison’s leveller, he added: “It was really sloppy from us. The way we came out in the second half was not good enough. We’ve got to defend better than that.

“It’s the second phase corner – it’s just nothing. We have to deal with that and it’s not good enough, it’s far too easy for them to get back in the game.

“Then their second goal, the lad’s taken it well and it’s a cracking finish but again, it’s disappointing. It’s a shot just on the edge of the box, it’s disappointing we couldn’t get a block on that.”

Richarlison also scored when the sides met at Goodison Park back in March, the Toffees triumphing 1-0 on that occasion.

Defeat means Saints are still yet to win an opening Premier League fixture since 2013.