Ex-FIFA official speaks out over ‘lazy’ Everton controversy in win v Bournemouth
Former Premier League referee Peter Walton believes Everton should have had a penalty in the first half of the clash with Bournemouth on Sunday (28 May).
The Toffees attacker went down in the box following a tackle from Cherries defender Marcos Senesi.
VAR checked the incident at Goodison Park but decided to take no further action.
“I think Everton are actually hard done by in this one,” Walton said on BT Sport Score. “We spoke before about contact, and is there enough contact there. Demarai Gray clearly gets the ball first, Senesi almost with a lazy challenge, clatters into him in terms of hitting the bottom of his foot.
“Is it enough to put him over? That was the question VAR Michael Oliver would have asked Stuart Atwell, the on-field referee.
“Stuart, I’m sure, would have said, ‘I think it’s an incident on the contact, both coming together, but looking at it and looking at it again and again, it becomes more of a penalty kick the more you look at it.”
Big call
With all the talk around this highly-anticipated final day involving players, managers and fans, it’s worth remembering that the officials also have a huge role to play.
It really is a high-pressure job, with their decisions coming under more scrutiny than usual on one of the most tense final days ever.
But it didn’t take long for the officials to come to an agreement on this one, with nothing doing in the box at Goodison Park.
Everton were desperate for a quick start in front of their boisterous yet nervous home fans, but no matter what they tried, the home side couldn’t break the deadlock in the first half.
That only caused more groans and frustration inside the stadium, with fans desperate to see Atwell point to the spot when Gray went down.
The nerves continued in and around Merseyside until Abdoulaye Doucoure put the Toffees ahead early in the second half.