Everton 3 – 1 Coventry City
Everton welcomed newly promoted Coventry City to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday night and got the kind of difficult game David Moyes expected as the visitors took the lead, Thierno Barry turning it around with two goals and an assist before a stunning strike by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall completed a great win.
Team News
Dibling and George started, with O’Brien on the bench. Grealish was still “unavailable” after being disciplined for a breach of club discipline. Jarrad Branthwaite was fit enough to start. Braiden Graham once again got to sit yet another Premier League game watching the big boys play.
First Half
And the game commences… Garner to Pickford, hoof upfield, head tennis, possession lottery. Coventry got upfield and tried a long throw that was rebuffed. George worked hard to get in a cross that was short and headed clear.
Dewsbury-Hall tried to get free but Mfuni was all over him. George after a great one-two with Dewsbury-Hall, fed a lovely ball to Barry’s feet but the galloot just completely wasted the opportunity, refusing to shoot with the ball at his feet.
A Garner ball tried to pick out Dibling but it didn’t come off. George worked hard and was fouled. Dewsbury-Hall, a terrible free-kick but it led to a bizarre moment of Coventry panic, another chance for Barry, who can’t quite control the ball and then it lands for Harrison Armstrong, whose first effort is saved — and then it looks like he might head the rebound into a near empty net but it’s hooked off his head by a Coventry defender, and an Everton handball was called by the referee.
Everton worked the ball back upfield, George’s cross a little short but forcing a corner. Garner short to Dewsbury-Hall, then across to the back post but Branthwaite could not get it back in the mix.
Armstrong saw his pass intercepted and went on a mission to reclaim the ball. Everton tried to push through the middle with Dewsbury-Hall but Sakamoto was all over him.
Everton were moving the ball around well until nice the ball in to Barry was taken wide then chipped up to no one and Rushworth gathered. A ball fell nicely to Mykolenko but he didn’t test Rushworth. Coventry had a spell, helped by poor distribution from Pickford, Gboho shooting wide.
Dibling fed the ball to Rohl but his first-time cross was over-hit. Coventry came forward and Pickford caught Yirenkyi’s deflected cross. Torp fired over from distance. Armstrong ran into trouble and the move broke down. Everton were meeting strong resistance to their forward play.
Coventry built confidently to win a corner that Pickford had to punch away, but Coventry came back, a terrible header from Branthwaite and Rudoni fed the ball through for Sakomoto to spin and fire at Pickford from close range. The ball then almost fell to Rudoni before he was crowded out but Everton looking increasingly ragged.
Tarkowski clearly pulled Yirenkyi’s long hair and was very lucky that all he got was a talking-to and not a penalty. Another terrible turnover thanks to Mykolenko and Rudoni advanced to fire one just past the far post as Coventry looked to embarrass a clearly flustered Everton side who seemed to have fewer ideas what to do with the ball.
Another dangerous Coventry attack saw Awoniyi pulling on Dibling’s shirt to win a long-range free-kick. Pickford punched away Torp’s strike but Everton were on their heels, having done nothing of note for most of the second quarter.
Coventry pressed forward again in the 1 minute of added time, and a terrible half really from Everton after a short spell of forward play totally dried up and they had to defend with their lives.
Second Half
No changes of course from Moyes and Coventry resumed, Gboho immediately getting a shot off at Pickford. Mykolenko then brushed heavily into Awoniyi as they contested the ball advancing into the Everton area, VAR saying it started outside the area, so no call. Two big scares in the first 2 minutes!
Everton responded, Rohl playing in Armstrong but his shot was weak. Another sweeping move for Coventry, the cross just slightly overhit by Van Ewijk. Torp went down very easily on a touch from Barry, and Coventry found their way through a crowd of defenders, Gboho poking it under Pickford. It had been coming!
A Mykoleno long throw was easily repelled. Some terrible play from Everton saw Coventry advance but they found more intensity from somewhere and worked hard from first a cross by Dibling, then two more by Mykolenko, the second one perfect for Thierno Barry (55′) to head home powerfully.
A surging break from Coventry threatened to restore their lead but from a corner, Everton broke at pace, and a fine spell of attacking and George took his time before floating over another cross that somehow Thierno Barry (61′) bundled in over the line beyond Rushworth. It looked a lot like it touched his arm on the way but VAR decided not to disallow the goal.
Another horrible Armstrong moment when he should have shot but passed straight to a defender. Why is he so afraid to shoot? Some superb play by Rudoni almost found a way through until Everton forced a turnover but they then slowed the game right down until Dewsbury-Hall almost reluctantly was persuaded to shoot, Rushworth equal to it.
Everton seemed to have a lot of space down the right to get forward but Dewsbury-Hall’s pass out to the left was intercepted by Van Ewijk. Branthwaite got in a low cross that was too close to Rushworth.
Everton looked to get forward down the left but Armstrong maddeningly turned back instead of advancing. Still Dewsbury-Hall did force a corner but nothing came of it as David Moyes made a triple change on 73 minutes.
After some more desperate defending, Everton got upfield but the cross in was poor. Coventry responded but Mfuni shot miles over from distance. But they kept looking very threatening going forward until Mfuni’s forward ball rolled through to Pickford.
Johnson did quite well to get the ball off a Coventry player and play it back to George, who decided to shoot, but it was terrible. Barry did well to power past his man but Johnson didn’t chase down the cross, leaving it for O’Brien who was closely marked, but got a throw-in on the right.
From O’Brien’s throw, it went infield to Dewsbury-Hall, Hackney, Garner, back to Tarkowski, Pickford and out to Branthwaite. The big man shook off Rudoni and played a good pass forward to Barry who quickly played an excellent ball behind the line for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (81′) — he scampered forward wide left and just drilled a fantastic shot past Rushworth from a narrowing angle, a superb finish.
Finally, Everton were in control of a very lively opponent, and the crowd were enjoying it, but Pickford had to be quick out of his area. The ball up spun off a Coventry player to George, who drove forward and smashed a shot at Rushworth that flew back out and hit Barry, flying back across goal, the big galloot denied a hat-trick!!!
A stupid moment from Branthwaite who overplayed the ball and then luged dangerously at Yirenkyi, earning himself a yellow card. Two more late changes as Moyes made rare use of all five subs before 6 minutes were added on.
A clever ball from Harmer over the top was anticipated well by Tchaouna, whose low shot ran across the face of Pickford’s goal. Barry got a good cheer for chasing down the ball and tackling for a throw-in.
Mykolenko did well to pick the ball up and cross for Hackney who could not get his header away from Rushworth. That was the last real action of a lively game that saw a fine Everton win after going behind.
TeAM Lineups
Everton: Pickford, Röhl (73′ O’Brien), Tarkowski, Branthwaite [Y:88′] (89′ Keane), Mykolenko, Garner, Armstrong (73′ Hackney), Dewsbury-Hall, Dibling (73′ Johnson), George (90′ Alcaraz), Barry.
Subs not Used: Travers, Maitland-Niles, Nørgaard, Graham.
Coventry City: Rushworth, Da Silva, Pinnock, Mfuni, Van Ewijk, Torp (86′ Grimes), Yirenkyi [Y:88′], Sakamoto (86′ Tchaouna), Rudoni (86′ Hamer), Gboho (73′ Thomas-Asante), Awoniyi (87′ Cherif).
Subs not Used: Bentley, Latibeaudiere, Kesler-Hayden, Simms.
Attendance: 52,395
Match Officials
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Video Assistant Referee: Timothy Wood
Assistant Referees: Constantine Hatzidakis, Nicholas Hopton
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott
Assistant VAR: Gary Beswick
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