Thierno Barry scored twice and created the third as Everton came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday night, lifting David Moyes' side into fifth in the Premier League on the manager's record-equalling 592nd match in charge.
Match facts
- Result: Everton 3-1 Coventry City (half-time 0-0)
- Competition: Premier League, Matchday 11
- Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
- Scorers: Everton - Barry 56', 61', Dewsbury-Hall 81'; Coventry City - Gboho 52'
- Red cards: None
- Next: International break; Everton and Coventry return for the next Premier League round
How the match unfolded
Coventry, managed by Frank Lampard, started brightly at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but Everton gradually found openings. Carl Rushworth denied Vitalii Mykolenko from inside the area, and Harrison Armstrong was close to a first Blues goal in a scramble after a recycled free-kick before the visitors cleared.
Jordan Pickford then saved with his legs from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto after the Japanese winger was played through, and Jack Rudoni whistled a low drive just past the far post as Coventry finished the first half on top. Neither side scored before the interval.
Four minutes into the second half the visitors thought they had a penalty when Taiwo Awoniyi went down under Mykolenko's challenge, but VAR judged the contact outside the box. Coventry still took the lead in the 52nd minute: Yann Gboho exchanged passes with Sakamoto and poked a close-range finish through Jarrad Branthwaite's legs past Pickford for his first Coventry goal.
Everton's response was immediate. In the 56th minute Barry met Mykolenko's pinpoint left-wing cross with a header into the bottom corner to level. Five minutes later Tyrique George floated a ball to the back post and Barry bundled it over the line — his 10th goal of the season — amid Coventry appeals for handball that VAR ruled inconclusive.
Barry then sealed the turnaround nine minutes from time. Collecting the ball just inside Coventry's half, he spun and threaded a through ball down the left for Dewsbury-Hall, who smashed a near-post finish past Rushworth. Dewsbury-Hall had been left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad earlier on Friday.
What the result means
The win made it three Premier League victories in a row for Everton and moved them fifth, above Liverpool for at least 48 hours, before the international break. It was also Moyes' 592nd match as Everton manager, equalling Harry Catterick's club record for games in charge.
Coventry stay two points above the relegation zone after a night spoiled by three major VAR decisions that went against them, including a first-half check on James Tarkowski for an alleged hair pull on Caleb Yirenkyi that was cleared. Lampard's side remain without the away win they need to climb clear of trouble.
Barry's brace followed his winner at Newcastle four days earlier — covered in our Newcastle 0-1 Everton match report — and underlined why he is Everton's main cutting edge with other strikers unavailable.
Follow BetAlert: Telegram · WhatsApp · Discord — and check any betting account for free at BetAlert.