Sean Dyche said the league table does not lie after he watched his Everton side slip back into the Premier League's relegation zone with a goalless draw at Crystal Palace.
The visitors' hopes of earning the win they needed to boost their survival chances were dashed when Mason Holgate was sent off 10 minutes from time for a second booking, after he interrupted Jordan Ayew's burst down the wing with a clumsy trip.
It came after a period of pressure for Dyche's team when they had looked the likelier to find the decisive goal.