Everton 3-1 Coventry: Barry at the double to send fortuitous Toffees fifth

premier league,
Round 10

everton
Eve

Coventry
COV

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Stuart Attwell

Thierno Barry 56′
Thierno Barry 61′
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 81′

Yann Gboho 52′

everton came from behind to finish fifth in the Premier League as a brace from Thierno Barry gave them a 3-1 win City of Coventry.

The hosts were unconvincing for long periods of David Moyes’ record 592nd game in charge of the club and were lucky not to concede a first-half penalty.

Coventry deservedly took the lead with Yann Gboho’s first goal for the club seven minutes into the second half, but that lead was short-lived as Barry equalized with a close-range header.

And Barry completed the turnaround as he bundled home a second, his fourth goal in eight days allowed to stay despite suggestions he controlled the ball with his hand before it crossed the line.

Kieran Dewsbury-Hall put the game beyond doubt 10 minutes from time when he struck Everton’s third from a tight angle.

The win sees the Toffees leapfrog rivals Liverpool into fifth in the table, while Coventry could drop into the bottom three this weekend if results go against Frank Lampard’s side.

It was Coventry who had the better of the first half, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford tested by Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Victor Torp and Jack Rudoni both shooting wide.

But the biggest point came when a VAR check for a potential penalty saw Everton handed a suspension, James Tarkowski adjudged not to have handled the ball in the box, but also, more curiously, deemed not to have fouled Caleb Yirenkyi in the box despite clearly pulling the Ghana international’s hair as he jumped to defend a ball in the box.

Coventry saw another penalty claim dismissed by VAR shortly after the second-half restart after Taiwo Awoniyi went down under Vitalii Mykolenko’s challenge.

However, they got the goal they deserved as Gboho showed excellent composure and control in the box to collect the ball on the turn under pressure from a defender before driving past Pickford.

Everton responded superbly though, Barry quickly drawing them level as his header from Mykolenko’s deep cross proved too strong for Carl Rushworth.

And Barry gave Everton the lead in somewhat controversial fashion as he converted after excellent work down the left from Tyrique George, with replays suggesting the ball had touched his arm before it crossed the line which the VAR deemed inconclusive.

Dewsbury-Hall stung the palms of Rushworth as Everton went in search of a decisive third goal, which arrived when the Coventry keeper had no response to a fierce near-post strike from the in-form midfielder, who timed his run perfectly to latch on to Barry’s excellent pass to put the game beyond doubt.

Premier League table

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