Everton defender Seamus Coleman has backed team-mate Jordan Pickford to win them more points than he loses after the England goalkeeper’s howler against Liverpool.

Pickford failed to deal with Virgil Van Dijk’s horribly-sliced effort, allowing it to bounce on top of the crossbar and then drop for Divock Origi to head in the winner from close range in the sixth minute of added time at Anfield.

Up to that point the 24-year-old had done a decent-enough job of keeping the hosts at bay and Coleman insists his worth to the side will be evident over the long-term despite their derby-day disappointment.

“There’s a little bit of disbelief, more so that it was a freak goal,” Coleman told Press Association Sport.

“It’s a shanked ball back in by Van Dijk and it’s a bit of a loopy, difficult one for Jordan.

“Unfortunately these things happen but it happened at the wrong time for us.

“It’s not just one player, we all make mistakes. I’ve made mistakes this season, other players have, but it’s always hard when a goalkeeper makes mistakes because it always gets noticed that little bit more.

“But Jordan has won us more points than he has lost us and that will be the case throughout the season.

“Jordan is a top player with a strong mentality and although it was not an ideal place for it to happen it has happened and he will move on.”

Coleman insists, despite the result, Everton should take positives from the manner in which they played at Anfield, where they have not won since 1999.

He believes the strides they are making under manager Marco Silva can take them on to bigger and better things.

“The manager emphasised all week we play our game, we do our thing,” he added.

“Obviously we needed to know how to stop them at times, which we have done, but it was about us trying to build from the back and trying to create chances.

“I think we did that and we probably should have scored a couple in the first half but we didn’t and those are the fine margins at this level. You need to take those chances.

“But it is quite positive. It is enjoyable to be a player under this manager, he is always on the front foot, always demanding us to play forward and open our bodies up and hopefully the results against the top six will come this season.

“We’ve got some really good players now and the way he wants us to play is to build from the back and you’ve got Andre (Gomes) coming looking for the ball off you and you know he can handle it and make things happen and I thought he was great again.

“It’s difficult to take but I guess we can take positives from the way we played.”