Everton netted a stoppage-time equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw against West Ham United at Goodison Park.

Graham Potter admitted the pressure of the Goodison Park atmosphere was a reason why Everton fought back to share the spoils against West Ham United.

Everton were not at their best and West Ham’s Tomas Soucek’s strike midway through the second half appeared it would end the home side’s fine recent run. But Potter believes that the fans inside Goodison made it difficult for the Hammers in the closing stages – and that contributed to O’Brien’s dramatic intervention.

What’s been said

The London Stadium boss said: “It’s always a feeling when you concede later. Disappointment but the bigger context of the game is we did a lot well. We had a good couple of opportunities in the first half, restricted Everton to not too much.

“We were a bit deep for our liking in the first half so changed that and second half, it helped us. We played well in the second half, scored a good goal, had some good opportunities. I can’t remember Fons [goalkeeper Alphonse Areola] having too many saves but at Everton when you’re 1-0 and the crowd as they are and the atmosphere here is not easy.

“The ball is going into your box and you feel under pressure when there maybe isn’t that much going on but the atmosphere makes it difficult. I thought we did it well but one lasp and we concede. We have to stick to the positives and take the point.”

‘I could have been crying’

Everton were playing their sixth-last game at Goodison Park. The Blues move to their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of next term. Potter believes Goodison as an away ground is as ‘tough as it gets’. And given that Charly Alcaraz spurned a golden chance to win the game at the death, which would have left Potter ‘crying’ he was happy with a point.

He added: “It has always been tough. Our performance quietened things down and our performance helped but at 1-0, the crowd here, they are in the game because of them. I have huge respect for the support they get. As an away ground, it’s as tough as it gets when the crowd are up and at you.

“At the same time, I thought our performance was strong. We probably edged the game but if you don’t score the second, anything can happen in football. In the end, I could have been crying because we could have lost so that’s football, certainly here. It’s emotional and they are emotional events when there aren’t many [games left] here. It’s a privilege for us to experience it. At the same time, we wanted to get three points.”