Everton are still in a fight for their Premier League survival.
They are words no-one associated with the Blues wanted to read and, after relegation rivals Burnley and Leeds United had failed to win their earlier games, some may not have expected to.
But this cruel season just will not end and now attention turns to Thursday night, when supporters who deserve better will be called upon to muster their passion once more at Goodison Park in the hope they can finally drag this side over the line against Crystal Palace.
PLAYER RATINGS: Salomon Rondon shocking and six more poor vs Brentford
YOUR SHOUT: Give us your Everton player ratings for the Brentford defeat
The collapse that sealed their defeat to Brentford came across 120 brutal second half seconds as first Yoane Wissa then Rico Henry headed into Jordan Pickford's net. But its roots lay in the carnage that unfolded after 18 minutes when Jarrad Branthwaite saw red while trying to deal with a Brentford clearance only made possible by a tug on Richarlison's shirt in the away side's penalty box.
While the Blues rallied in adversity and fought back from losing a man, then a Brentford leveller, to lead at half-time, only so much resilience was available. The sending-off placed too much demand on what was already a patched-up defence and for the 18 minutes of the second half it took Brentford to take advantage, Everton were camped inside their area - only escaping for a ball to flash millimetres beyond a diving Dominic Calvert-Lewin who could not quite increase the lead.
It was all meant to be so different as the crowds once again lined the streets of L4 before the game. Amid the famous anthems, amid the stinging blue smoke, amid the banging on the side of the players' coach, the lads on dads' shoulders and the fluttering banners of the Gwladys Street end, there was hope. Hope the pain of this season would soon be over.
There was also fear, an unspoken one, that players would struggle to match the intensity, passion and desire generated to inspire them. But as Everton launched into action - now knowing what was required to secure survival - those concerns were quickly put to bed. Just like against Chelsea, when Goodison was converted into a coliseum and the crowd roared their stars into seven days that appeared to have altered the nature of this relegation battle, the players responded to the atmosphere.
They hustled and harried, snapped and snarled and created chance after chance. The returning Calvert-Lewin, absent for so much of this traumatic season, and Anthony Gordon - perhaps the only bright spark to emerge from this campaign until a new manager united Finch Farm and Goodison Park - led the charge.
First Gordon forced a save from David Raya, then Richarlison nodded the rebound wide when to score appeared easier. The Brazil star flashed a volley wide but the chances still came and soon the coliseum became a carnival. Gordon pounced on a defensive mix-up to win a free-kick from Mads Bech Sorensen, who was booked, and young Everton star's cross squirmed beyond the line.
The goalscorer was announced as Richarlison but the cameras showed Calvert-Lewin mouthing possession of the moment. He was soon officially given his first goal since those opening games of the season that now seem a lifetime ago. A lot of water has flowed beneath the bridge since then - a lot of anguish, turmoil and controversy. More was to come.
As Goodison Park celebrated, the footballing Gods struck back with vengeance
Richarlison, shirt clearly pulled by Kristoffer Ajer, was having his appeals for a penalty waved away when the clearance that followed left Everton exposed. Ivan Toney escaped the back three and was brought down by Branthwaite, who was then sent off.
It was later confirmed VAR checked the penalty claim but those in charge did not believe it met the threshold for the on-field decision to be overturned. The match officials' representative body said, had a penalty been given, it would not have called for the spot-kick to be abandoned. Everton have heard that one before.
The equaliser became inevitable as Brentford gained a foothold in the match. That it came from a Seamus Coleman own goal felt like a sick joke.
A controversial decision going against the Blues, a failure to deal with a ball over the top, a red card and an own goal: 20 minutes of the first-half became a greatest hits collection of the misery inflicted upon Everton - and which Everton have inflicted upon themselves - during this wretched campaign.
That the players kept going was testament to both them and the supporters. And when Sorensen brought down Richarlison and Michael Oliver pointed to the spot a neutral may have cried 'justice'. Those in blue, however, rightly questioned why Sorensen, taken off at half-time, avoided a second yellow. Richarlison, the coolest man in the cauldron that surrounded him, finally saw his name added to the scoresheet.
But it was not enough. Not even for a draw. The greatest hits catalogue was missing one last component from this horror season - the collapse.
The hope that had filled Goodison Park 90 minutes earlier had long-dissipated when Salomon Rondon was shown a straight red card for a reckless lunge on Henry. He will now miss the rest of a season Everton had, so desperately, wanted to end on Sunday.
