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

Everton's in-form striker inspired the comeback.

Nicholas McGee

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23 minutes ago • 3 min read

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

Premier League, Round 10

Everton EVE

3 – 1

Full Time

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 go fifth in the Premier League as a Thierno Barry double gave them a 3-1 win over Coventry City.

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

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

And Barry then completed the turnaround as he bundled home a second, his fourth goal in eight days allowed to stand 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 the end of normal time when he lashed home 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 much the better of the first half, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford tested by Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Victor Torp and Jack Rudoni firing narrowly wide.

But the biggest flashpoint came as a VAR check for a possible penalty saw Everton given a reprieve, James Tarkowski ruled not to have handled the ball in the area but also more curiously deemed not to have fouled Caleb Yirenkyi in the area despite clearly pulling the Ghana international’s hair as he leapt to defend a ball into the box.

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

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

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

And Barry then gave Everton the lead in somewhat controversial fashion as he converted following excellent work down the left from Tyrique George, with replays indicating the ball had brushed his arm before it crossed the line deemed inconclusive by VAR.

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

Everton Coventry

3 Goals 1

2.24 xG 1.42

46% Possession 54%

15 Total Shots 15

6 Shots on Target 4

6 Shots off Target 8

2 Corners 2

9 Fouls 6

1 Offsides 0

1 Yellow Cards 1

3 Saves 3

413 Passes 434

332 Passes Completed 350

80% Pass Accuracy 81%

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The Premier League Table

#	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Last 5
1	Arsenal	9	8	0	1	14	5	9	24	W W W W L
2	Manchester City	9	7	0	2	20	10	10	21	L L W W W
3	Brighton	9	6	1	2	24	7	17	19	W L W W W
4	Chelsea	9	5	1	3	19	15	4	16	W L W W L
5	Liverpool	9	4	3	2	11	9	2	15	L W W L W
6	Brentford	9	3	5	1	16	9	7	14	W D L D W
7	Everton	9	3	4	2	9	9	0	13	W W L L D
8	Bournemouth	9	3	3	3	14	13	1	12	W W W L L
9	Tottenham	9	3	3	3	10	10	0	12	W W W D L
10	Aston Villa	9	3	3	3	10	13	-3	12	D W W D W
11	Hull City	9	2	5	2	11	10	1	11	D D L D L
12	Leeds	9	2	5	2	9	8	1	11	L D D L D
13	Newcastle	9	3	2	4	12	15	-3	11	L W L L W
14	Ipswich	9	3	2	4	14	18	-4	11	D D L W L
15	Fulham	9	2	3	4	9	11	-2	9	D W W L D
16	Coventry	9	3	0	6	9	16	-7	9	L W L L W
17	Manchester United	9	1	4	4	10	15	-5	7	L L D D D
18	Crystal Palace	9	2	1	6	9	21	-12	7	L L L W D
19	Nottingham Forest	9	1	3	5	6	12	-6	6	L D L L L
20	Sunderland	9	1	2	6	7	17	-10	5	L D L L L