The Toffees boss was heartened by the performance - if not the result - in yesterday's 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat and has urged his players to maintain their standards in the coming weeks.

A run of one win in their last eight Barclays Premier League matches - not helped by a crippling injury list - has left Everton just three points above the relegation zone.

But Moyes is hopeful he and his players may have finally turned the corner.

"For a team that hasn't been doing too well in recent weeks it didn't show (in the derby)," he said.

"I saw the players' endeavour and energy. I thought they put on a really good show.

"I have been critical of performances this season but I couldn't be critical of yesterday because I could see things - because of that extra effort - starting to go for us.

"For us, at the moment, a good performance is a start. If you have good performances it ends up getting you good results.

"In the past we have not had good performances so, in the end, that turns into not good results.

"But yesterday the performance merited better than a defeat and it just shows the players if they play at that level then I'm sure it will come and their luck will change.

"The players acquitted themselves well so in the main I'm comfortable with that.

"I'm not happy with the result but I can't question many of the players with what they offered."

Moyes has found his methods and tactics scrutinised during this difficult period but throughout he has insisted he will continue to do things the way he feels is best.

His decision to give Jo his first start in over a month against Liverpool raised a few eyebrows but Moyes felt the Brazilian put in a decent performance up front on his own.

Jo's inclusion was because neither Louis Saha nor Ayegbeni Yakubu were fully fit.

"Louis hadn't trained and I wasn't even going to put him on the bench as I wanted to keep him for midweek but he felt he could give us a little bit from the bench," said the Scot.

"I thought Jo did terrifically for us, I couldn't fault him.

"We looked a lot better at that time of the game (with Jo on the pitch) and I thought Louis looked like he hadn't trained for a few days when he came on."

Moyes also defended his decision to play with just one up front until late on, when he sent on Yakubu to partner fellow substitute Saha.

"I thought we were worse in the last 10 minutes when we went to two up front," he said.

"People talk about systems and styles but I thought it was more to do with the energy and commitment.

"The last 10 minutes we really didn't show a great deal."

Everton flew out to Athens today ahead of their Europa League clash with AEK without centre-back Joseph Yobo, who did not travel after sustaining a hamstring injury yesterday.

Doubts remain over how fit Saha is but midfielder Jack Rodwell has recovered from the groin strain which forced him off in last Wednesday's defeat at Hull and resulted in him missing yesterday's match.

The absence of Yobo may mean Tony Hibbert has to stand in at centre-back as Lucas Neill and Johnny Heitinga are ineligible for Wednesday's game against the Greeks.

Heitinga will also miss Sunday's Premier League visit of Tottenham through suspension after accumulating a fifth booking of the season in the derby.