Everton boss Roberto Martinez has called on his players to pick up a healthy points total from their final five matches of the Premier League season.

Another inconsistent campaign has left the Toffees down in 12th position and they will enter this weekend's home game with Southampton on the back of a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

Martinez's side have only won one of their last seven in the league, but the Spaniard is confident that the Merseyside outfit can enjoy a strong end to their league campaign.

"Every season boils down to these final games and we can have a really strong ending. We are right in the middle of the most testing period," Martinez told reporters.

"Five games in two weeks has always been an interesting period. We need to make sure we can display again the good attributes we had against Crystal Palace. With one man down it became more than a footballing exercise. It was about the togetherness, the resilience and all the aspects that help you as a team.

"It doesn't matter what level, everything is about working with a group and winning the next game. It could be promotion, like my time at Swansea, or relegation, like at Wigan. It's the pressure that you put yourself under. It's always the target to finish higher than last year."

Everton will take on Manchester Untied in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on April 23.