Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall spoke after sealing Everton's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall reckons Hill Dickinson Stadium reached its loudest point yet in Everton’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest as he lifted the lid on his fracas with Morgan Gibbs-White. The Blues’ emphatic victory was their fourth in their last five matches and moved them up into fifth position in the Premier League table on Saturday night.
Dewsbury-Hall said: “It’s been a good week, I think. It’s been a great reaction from the blip that we had against Newcastle.
“So that’s a massive credit to allow the two clean sheets, two really, really good performances and I feel like we’re starting to get a bit of momentum. “I’m really happy, the lads deserve it. A lot of hard work that’s gone in is paying off so onwards and upwards.
“There’s just a lot of humble characters in there. There’s a lot of people that take accountability if something’s not right.
“Even though we’ve got some top-class players, they work like they’re scholars. That first thing, humility, is so important.
“When you’ve got that, you’ve got a group that always wants to work hard and do the right things, it’s good ingredients to be successful. Look, football’s football, you’re going to have blips, you’re not going to win every game, so it’s about how you react to that, and I feel like we’re reacting really well.
“That block of games was tough, but we’ve come out of it with four wins out of five. It was important too, because now we've got some tough games coming up.
“We’re hitting a nice bit of form now, and a lot of confidence in there at the moment, so there’s no reason we can’t go in the next couple of games and still be confident against big teams.”
After netting the winner against Manchester United as Everton became the first team to triumph at Old Trafford in a Premier League game after having a man sent off, Dewsbury-Hall netted what he considers to be the best goal of his career in the 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle United and then saw his second minute effort against Nottingham Forest deflected into the net by Nikola Milenkovic before getting himself back on the scoresheet in the 80th minute to seal the 3-0 rout.
Asked whether he’s enjoying being the focal point of the team and operating in a deeper midfield role, the 27-year-old said: “Yeah, of course. I’m playing more here than I was last season.
“I’m sure if I was playing last season, I’d have tried my best to do the same. But I feel happy here because I’m getting an opportunity.
“Everyone believes in me, and I’m just feeling confident. I love the spotlight.
“Whether it’s on me, whether it’s on anyone, it doesn’t matter. I’m just here to play football and perform, that’s the main thing.
“I’m playing well. I’m starting to find my rhythm now.
“You know what it’s like, you have a couple of average games and everyone starts saying stuff. But you have to forget there’s a lot of new players in there, including me, getting used to a new team, a new stadium, a new environment.
“Sometimes it can take time, so I feel like now I’m starting to properly settle, and I’m starting to enjoy myself. Hopefully I can continue to do that.”
Thierno Barry was also on the scoresheet against Sean Dyche’s side and Dewsbury-Hall believes the French striker breaking his duck was just rewards for his recent efforts.
He said: “I’m so happy for him. I think it’s probably one of the loudest you’ve heard the stadium all season, and he deserves that.
“The last five or so games, he’s absolutely worked his nuts off for us, he works all the time, and you deserve good rewards when you work hard. Hopefully now that can kick-start him when he can go on and score as many as he wants.”
Nottingham-born Dewsbury-Hall found himself in an altercation with Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White late on.
Asked what happened, he said: “I don’t know, I mean, you know what it’s like when the temperature gets a bit hot.
“It’s all handbags. But look, I feel like if you play for this club, you’ve got to show a bit about you. It is what it is, but I enjoyed that.”