Keith Hackett hits out over ‘reckless’ Beto incident in Newcastle vs Everton
Beto was lucky to avoid a caution in Everton’s clash with Newcastle on Saturday, Keith Hackett has said.
In the sixth minute of the contest at St James’ Park on 28 February, the Everton forward challenged Nick Pope and caught the Magpies goalkeeper.
Beto was not booked for the foul, despite the fact that it was given, as Stuart Attwell felt there was no need for further punishment.
Now, Hackett, the former PGMOL chief, has reacted to the decision not to caution the 28-year-old.
What did Hackett say about Beto incident?
Hackett believes that the Toffees star should have been given a yellow card for his tackle on the Magpies’ goalkeeper.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News, he said: “Beto’s actions was reckless and endangered the safety of the goalkeeper.
“This fulfilled a sanction of a yellow card.”
He went on to put the Blues ahead, after a horrendous mistake from Pope, so it is safe to say the tackle may have rattled the 33-year-old.
Read More: Liam Delap latest could spell the end for Beto at Everton
How the Newcastle vs Everton clash developed
The Blues are hoping to get into the European qualification places by the end of the campaign, and they came into the game in ninth.
Jarrad Branthwaite opened the scoring in the 19th minute, which put David Moyes’ side in a brilliant position to keep up their chase for a continental berth.
The Toffees were the better side for much of the first half, and his header from James Garner’s corner gave them a deserved lead at the break.
However, they could not hold onto their lead, and the hosts equalised in the 32nd minute through Jacob Ramsey.
However, they were quickly back in the lead just a minute later as the Guinea-Bissau forward smashed home after Pope had spilled Dwight McNeil’s effort.
The second half was just as action-packed, as Jacob Murphy equalised in the closing stages with another deflected strike, but it was finished there.
The Toffees went right up the other end, and Thierno Barry scrambled the ball into the net, although he did not know much about it, as Moyes’ side secured a vital victory.
The trajectory of the contest may well have been changed had Beto been punished for his early foul, but he was not and he went on to influence the game in a huge way.
For more on Everton’s push for Europe, check out Football Insider for the latest updates and insight.