Keeper left red faced as escape inspires Toon’s dramatic win Pickford pays the penalty
HE would never have thought this at half-time, but Jordan Pickford will perhaps rue the moment he escaped a first-half red card.
It was a fine rugby tackle, perfectly timed and powerfully executed, the Everton goalkeeper taking out Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon just yards from goal.
That it was Pickford’s spill that had fallen to Rondon merely amplified the glee among the home support, they were going to enjoy waving the former Sunderland custodian goodbye.
Except, there was no walk of shame. Referee Lee Mason, confused by the new double jeopardy laws, deemed a spot- kick sanction enough. But he was wrong, Pickford had deliberately brought down an pponent and denied an obvious scoring opportunity.
Pickford remained and, in what was an entirely telegraphed twist, he saved the penalty from Matt Ritchie.
He was still grinning when Everton n broke and scored a second goal within 71 seconds econds through Richarlison — adding to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s earlier header — and his smile was even wider as a chorus of jeers followed him off the field at the interval.
What Pickford had not bargained on was his pantomime goading of the home support serving as motivation, which is undoubtedly what it did.
The injustice of the non dismissal coupled with the sight of this Sunderland native enjoying every second of it was, in a perverse way, exactly what a previously subdued crowd had needed. Now, riled and raucous, they had a common cause — and 11 men plus 50,000 supporters is a tide of energy, aggression and emotion you simply cannot hold back. What followed in the second half was truly memorable, at least for those of a black- and- white persu persuasion. For Pickford, it w was a half to forget, no not that the nightmar es which are sure to follow will allow him to do that in a hurry. Let us start with N Newcastle’s first, for it is worthy of more than a simple rec recording of a shot which slipped through Pickford Pickford’s grasp. Ayoze Perez would later emerge as the match-winner with two late goals, but his assist here was arguably more important. Without this — the second-half noise had started to wane after 20 minutes without a score — Everton would probably have seen home their victory. As it was, Rondon’s volley after twice swapping passes with Perez raised the roof. The killer ball was a sublime chip over the heads of two Everton defenders and Rondon connected first time to send it through Pickford and into the bottom corner. Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez later reflected: ‘It was a great goal. If Lionel Messi did what Ayoze Perez did and Alan Shearer finished like Salomon Rondon then they would be talking about it for months.’
Should Pickford have done better? He is the England goalkeeper and, over the course of the last 18 months, has shown himself to be among the best in the world. So yes, he should have saved it.
There can, however, be no doubt as to him being to blame for Newcastle’s equaliser.
Miguel Almiron, the £21million club-record signing, was lucky to still be on the pitch, so out of sorts had he been.
But Benitez knows that the Paraguayan is capable of the sort of blast which, when hammered goalwards on 81 minutes, Pickford failed to deal with, allowing Perez to steam in for an easy conversion from the rebound.
Within three minutes the Everton goalkeeper was beaten again when Perez smashed the winner from point-blank range. He celebrated with his fingers in his ears and it was just as well, for the noise was deafening. The forward’s gesture, believe it or not, is a response to terrace criticism, for he has long since divided opinion in these parts. Those same doubters were soon serenading their super Spaniard.
‘Ayoze is a player with great quality,’ Benitez said after the forward had secured Newcastle’s fifth straight home victory for the first time in 15 years.
Everton boss Marco Silva, meanwhile, was not in the mood to praise any of his players. ‘ We had the game in our hands, so first we have to blame ourselves,’ he said. ‘We should have killed it off.’
He was, though, raging with the officials, who had failed to spot Rondon i n an offside position before he teed up Perez’s winner.
The Portuguese protested in the face of the assistant referee after the final whistle and is likely to face an FA charge, much like Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino following his outburst at Burnley last month.
But Silva said: ‘It was a big mistake by the assistant, it was clear offside. Not just one, not just two, but five players.’
How Pickford must also wish the officials had enjoyed a better day, starting with his first-half indiscretion — at least it would have spared him his second-half humiliation. NEWCASTLE (3-4-2-1): Dubravka 6; Schar 5.5, Lascelles 5 (Dummett 46min, 6.5), Lejeune 7; Yedlin 6, Hayden 7, Ki 6 (Shelvey 79, 6), Ritchie 5 (Kenedy 73, 6); Perez 8.5, Almiron 6; Rondon 8. Booked: Lascelles, Schar. Subs (not used): Diame, Manquillo, Joselu, Darlow. EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford 5; Kenny 6 (Walcott 87), Keane 6, Zouma 6, Digne 6.5; Gomes 7.5, Gueye 6.5; Richarlison 6.5 (Mina 75, 5), Sigurdsson 6, Bernard 6.5 (Lookman 81); Calvert-Lewin 7.5. Booked: Kenny. Subs (not used): Tosun, Schneiderlin, Stekelenburg, Davies. Referee: L Mason (Lancashire) 5.