Premier League told ‘to get a grip’ as Nottingham Forest players breach laws in Everton loss
Everton cruised to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but their former boss Sean Dyche was left fuming by a refereeing decision during the game.
Thierno Barry scored his first goal since signing from Villarreal in the summer, ending a barren streak that had threatened to ruin his career on Merseyside.
Everton have now won four of their last five games in the Premier League, and victory over Forest lifted them up to fifth in the table.
However, the contest at Hill Dickinson Stadium was not without its controversy, and referee Chris Kavanagh was at the centre of a big debate.
Sean Dyche thinks Everton goal should’ve been ruled out
Everton took a very early lead against Nottingham Forest, as Nikola Milenkovic headed a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cross into his own net.
Barry then doubled the Toffees’ advantage moments before half-time, but as the Frenchman slotted the ball past Matz Sels, Forest players were visibly incensed.
The visitors felt that referee Kavanagh had touched the ball in the lead-up to the goal, and that play should have been stopped.
Forest boss Dyche highlighted the incident after the game, insisting that Barry’s goal should not have been allowed to stand.
Dyche said: “The ball deviates off the referee on the counter-attack before the second goal. It did hit the referee, and I thought that was when they normally stop it, but they didn’t stop it.”
Keith Hackett wants more respect for referees as Nottingham Forest incident
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett disagrees with Dyche, believing that there is “inconclusive evidence” that the ball touched the referee.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, Hackett instead highlighted the reaction of the Nottingham Forest players and the way they surrounded Kavanagh.
Before the season began, the Premier League announced that only captains would be allowed to speak to the referee, but Hackett believes the issue has now spiralled out of control.
He said: “I have looked at the replays and there is inconclusive evidence that it did hit the referee. Had it done so, then it would have been a dropped ball restart. The referee did not stop play so he was satisfied that it did not hit him.
“Instances of players surrounding the referee have not diminished this season, despite the announcement pre-season that only the captains would lead the dialogue between the team and the referee.
“That was blasted out of the water after a couple of weeks, and the surrounding of the referee protesting a decision had not been abated.
“Authorities need to get a grip of this growing problem and start to impose meaningful sanctions.”
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