After the trials and tribulations of the transfer window Everton can be content to reach the international break unbeaten and up to fifth courtesy of victory over Ipswich. David Moyes, and Pro Ref, will also be relieved that another controversial call from a video assistant referee did not determine the outcome. Thierno Barry decided a close-fought contest that turned decisively in Everton’s favour when Abdul Fatawu was sent off for simulation, his second bookable offence, in the 67th minute.
Barry had earlier had a second goal ruled out after an offside Brennan Johnson was deemed to have interfered with Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton’s ability to save a ball he made no attempt to save and was nowhere near saving. Unlike the Manchester derby, however, referee Stuart Attwell’s decision would not prove decisive. There was good fortune to Everton’s lead, not so much in the unorthodox finish by Barry but the fact they managed to preserve it until half-time.
A steady stream of unforced errors from previously in-form players – Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jarrad Branthwaite and Harrison Armstrong among them – left Moyes visibly exasperated and invited pressure from Ipswich. Everton started brightly and should have opened the scoring when Armstrong pierced the visitors’ defence to find Brennan Johnson. The Wales international spun away neatly from Issa Diop to give himself a clear sight of Christian Walton’s goal, only to drag a poor shot wide.
Moments earlier, from the third minute, there had been a moving ovation from both sets of supporters in memory of Noah Woods, the three-year-old from Suffolk who went missing on Tuesday. A loose pass from Dewsbury-Hall that resulted in Jordan Pickford denying Emersonn was the first sign of the sloppiness to come from Everton. But they also had the compensation of an early lead when Barry scored his fifth goal of the season and his strangest.
The striker reacted sharply to divert James Tarkowski’s 25-yard volley into the net after Walton and the lively Jack Clarke had cleared a cross from Dewsbury-Hall. The Ipswich keeper had Tarkowski’s shot covered only for Barry to leave him wrong-footed by chesting the ball into the opposite side of the goal. The striker clearly moved to play the ball with his chest, so gets the benefit of the doubt over his intention.
Abdul Fatawu was a persistent threat down Ipswich’s right flank, making his self-inflicted dismissal all the more galling for O’Neil as his team chased an equaliser. The Ghana international forced a fine save from Pickford after Everton made a hash of clearing his corner and attempted to beat the England goalkeeper from inside his own half having intercepted a cross-field pass by Tarkowski. The long-range effort was drifting wide but Pickford, unaware, took no chances and scampered back to save.
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