Moyes rues bad day at the office

A late first-half strike from Stephen Hunt proved enough to settled matters, but substitute James McFadden could have snatched a draw during the closing moments when his chip come back off the crossbar, with Johnson unable to stab home the rebound from inside the six-yard box.

The Everton manager tried to look for positives, saying: "I think the goalkeeper actually pushed it on to the post. When you look at it, the ball came off the bar and hits [Ulises] de la Cruz on the arm, so it is a penalty kick. Andy changes direction then and hits the post."

He added: "On another day, it hits the inside of the post and it goes in, but it did not do that."

Despite the defeat, Everton have nevertheless produced a decent opening to the new campaign.

Moyes said: "We still have players to come back, and if you had given me Tottenham on Tuesday night and Reading on a Saturday, coming away and winning one of them, you would probably have said that was a hard thing to do.

Moyes added: "The workrate probably deserved a draw, but I do not think the way we played deserved it. But you have got to give Reading credit, because they do what they do very well.

"They kept the pressure on and we lost a schoolboy goal from a throw in."

Moyes, meanwhile, refused to make any comment on reports Everton were set to sign striker Ayegbeni Yakubu from Middlesbrough.

"I read stuff from you, and find it off you people, so you might be able to tell me what is happening," the Everton boss told reporters. "I do not know. I cannot give you any more update."