DAVID MOYES was named Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month for the 10th time in his career before challenging his side go unbeaten in April.

The Blues boss picked up the prestigious prize for the second time this season, after leading his team to three straight Premier League wins, a run which included a 2-0 defeat of reigning champions Manchester City.

Only Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have won the award more often than the Scot in the Premier League era, while Moyes and Sunday’s rival, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, are the only managers to have picked up two of the accolades so far this term.

Nine points from a possible nine have left Everton sixth in the table heading into tomorrow’s clash at White Hart Lane, two points below fifth-placed Arsenal and three ahead of neighbours Liverpool with just eight games to go.

Moyes knows his side need to land a top-five finish to end their three-year absence from Europe and after being presented with his prize at the club’s Finch Farm training ground yesterday, he said: “It’s an award for all the players and how well they have done in March.

“The results they have had over the last month have been excellent, especially the games against Manchester City and Stoke City.

“It has kept us going and it is important you come into form at this time of year.

“Our form has never been too far away and let’s hope we can keep that standard up right to the end of the season now. I think if you can be around those [top] positions then it means that your team is doing well enough and if we could [go unbeaten again] in April it would be big, it really would.

“There were only three games in March but I think we’ve got a five-game April coming up now and obviously it’s a tough one.

“But we’ve got two homes games coming up in that and we’ve got to try to pick up points, move along, and if the players keep passing the ball and playing as well as they have done in recent games, I’ll be happy.”

Everton’s other March victory was a 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Reading.