Everton's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace yesterday was largely an impressive result, restricting Roy Hodgson's resurgent outfit to just two shots on target all game.
Selhurst Park was largely silenced, as Sean Dyche once again took all the sting out of a Premier League clash to earn a vital point.
However, with Leicester City's turnaround win over Wolverhampton Wanderers elsewhere, the Toffees have still sunk into the relegation zone with just six games left to play.
It marked a negative afternoon after a positive performance, however, there was one standout villain for the visitors who was terrorised all game.
With Seamus Coleman still injured and Nathan Patterson perhaps too raw for the former Burnley boss to risk at this stage of the season, the 51-year-old instead opted to start Mason Holgate at right-back ahead of Ben Godfrey.
Having featured in that role for a full campaign during his loan at West Bromwich Albion, there should have been no issues with the 26-year-old stepping in against a 31-year-old Jordan Ayew.
However, it was one of many days to forget that the former Barnsley man has endured in a Royal Blue shirt, as he was run ragged.
How did Mason Holgate play vs Crystal Palace?
Having joined under Roberto Martinez as a promising teenager, Holgate slowly grew into a regular member of the first time who has survived the vicious managerial upheaval over the years following.
However, as time has gone on, the £70k-per-week dud has become more and more of a liability for his side, culminating in a 6.65 average Sofascore rating last season.
Yesterday this misery was only exacerbated as the Eagles targeted him all game.
Earning a 6.1 rating, the lowest of anyone on the pitch, the defender was dribbled past three times whilst losing nine of the 15 duels he competed in, via Sofascore.
Having been booked on 37 minutes, many called for his substitution at half time given how unreliable he had been in the past. Holgate's history showcased hot-headed and thoughtlessness, often capable of giving a goal away or a needlessly heavy challenge to give the referee a decision to make.
Journalist Joe Thomas had even outlined it on Twitter, as he wrote: "Holgate is pushing a few yards further forward than the defenders alongside him and it's just creating a few extra yards of space for Palace to target. He and Ayew are engaged in battle down the right and it is where Everton look most vulnerable."
Unsurprisingly, this once again came to fruition, as Ayew breezed past the 6-foot dud only to be brought down. He was given his marching orders and his side were down to ten men, which fortunately did not cost them their point.
When immersed in a relegation battle, managers cannot afford liabilities when the margins are already so small. Whether Dyche manages to keep Everton up or not, he must expunge this Martinez error and get rid of Holgate once and for all.
