Ex-PGMOL chief wants new IFAB law after controversial Everton goal vs Fulham: ‘These offences are going unpunished’
Everton secured a big win this weekend, as they beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inspired a second-half comeback after Vitalii Mykolenko scored an own goal for Everton early on.
The midfielder levelled the scoring in the 75th minute with a strike inside the box, before his pinpoint delivery from an 83rd-minute corner found its way in the back of the net via Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
With Jake O’Brien wrestling with Leno in the six-yard box, David Moyes’ side took the lead, somewhat to the German shot-stopper’s dismay.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, ex-PGMOL general manager Keith Hackett has given his thoughts on the incident, suggesting a potential law change moving forward.
Keith Hackett sheds light on late Everton winner vs Fulham
It truly was a game of two halves in West London on Saturday, with Everton looking a completely different side as they came back from a goal down to beat Fulham – lifting the Toffees to eighth in the Premier League standings.
Speaking on the controversial late own goal, former referee Hackett exclusively told Goodison News: “If the goalkeeper is going to come out and challenge for the ball, he needs to be certain that he is going to be able to either catch or punch the ball to safety.
“He failed to do that and under the current application of the laws of the game, PGMOL referees are not going to penalise the attacker. The lawmakers should introduce a new law with regard to corner kicks.”
With O’Brien restricting Leno at the set-piece, Hackett added: “I would like to see a one metre distance between attackers and defenders at the taking of a corner kick.
“This would assist in stopping acts of blocking, grappling, unfair impeding, holding and pushing.
“At the moment, it has been allowed to deteriorate, and these offences are going unpunished.”
Stroke of luck puts Everton in great place for European push
With eighth place in the standings likely to carry the reward of European football, Everton are in a fantastic position ahead of the season’s final months.
The Toffees are unbeaten in their last five league outings, before they welcome Bournemouth to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday, when they will be hoping to climb even further should results go their way elsewhere.
Another bonus for Moyes in the coming weeks is the lack of cup football, while both Brentford and Sunderland remain in the FA Cup, and city rivals Liverpool have both domestic cup and continental ambitions.
Everton were handed a stroke of luck on Saturday, not via a poor decision, but by the current laws. But, with three more points, Toffees supporters may just be able to start dreaming about European football for the first time since 2017.