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Sean Dyche, the manager of Everton, expressed his frustration after his team lost a dull FA Cup fourth-round match 2-1 at home to Luton. He was particularly upset about the lack of VAR involvement in the first goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin collapsed to the ground after being pushed in the back by former Toffees player Ross Barkley, causing him to lose his balance. In the area near the goal post, defender Vitalii Mykolenko accidentally redirected Alfie Doughty’s corner kick into his own team’s goal.
The VAR decision concluded that Barkley’s involvement was insufficient to reverse the goal, but Dyche expressed dissatisfaction.
“I don’t believe I was any more irritated than usual. I was particularly frustrated with the initial goal and the two hands in Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s back,” he stated.
You could argue that he fell easily, which may be true, but I have witnessed penalties being awarded for stepping on someone’s foot.
In the second half, Jack Harrison tied the game by scoring a low shot that slipped through goalkeeper Tim Krul’s hands. However, in the final moments of added time, Cauley Woodrow managed to score a goal in a chaotic situation near the goal from yet another corner.
“The match was rough, clumsy, and unattractive. They came out on top with two set pieces – it had that kind of vibe,” remarked Dyche.
After scoring to tie the game, we had 15 minutes where we appeared to be the stronger team. However, we gave up a corner near the end which resulted in a goal due to a lucky bounce.
I commend them for persevering and ultimately achieving victory.
Luton manager Rob Edwards acknowledged that not having a replay greatly contributed to their elated response at the end of the game.
“He mentioned that it was a major factor in the festivities at the conclusion.”
This is a competition that we value and strive to excel in. I am very happy for the team.
“We will gain faith and assurance from this, as you can see there is a strong belief within this team of players. Our progress is evident.”
Despite potentially having a broken hand from an incident with Everton’s James Tarkowski, Woodrow continued to play and was eventually rewarded with his first goal since August.
The forward informed BBC Sport that they were in a state of surprise for a period of time after feeling the crack.
“I am extremely proud of myself as I have been anticipating achieving this goal for quite some time.”
Source: independent.co.uk
