MARTINEZ RAGES AS TERRY GRABS A LATE, LATE EQUALISER FOR CHELSEA
WHEN the fourth official told Roberto Martinez that the seven minutes of injury time had elapsed, Everton’s manager was entitled to think his team were home and hosed.
Instead they were left frustrated and angry, questioning why referee Michael Jones allowed another 50 seconds or more to be played until John Terry’s intervention in the 98th minute. Martinez has a point.
Everton appeared to have this game won when substitute Ramiro Funes Mori arrived at the far post to connect with Gerard Deulofeu’s cross from the right in the 90th minute. Instead they felt cheated.
Jones played on, and on, and on, until Terry — who was standing in an offside position when Branislav Ivanovic and then Oscar helped the ball on — cheekily flicked his effort beyond Tim Howard.
‘For me our third goal was the victory, but when there are seven minutes of injury time and the last action happens 52 seconds after that, with Terry two yards offside, you can’t justify it at this level,’ claimed Martinez.
‘The fourth official made it clear that it was time, before the ball was played into the box — there is no debate. The player was also two yards offside in the box and that’s unacceptable.
‘It’s a decision that should have been given offside. It doesn’t come down to the interpretation of the referee — he just wasn’t up to the level. It’s heartbreaking, a major error which is difficult to take.’
Everton’s players were more than a little peeved, with the Premier League draw specialists wondering how the referee and his assistants could have got this so wrong.
They had already been pegged back from a two-goal advantage when Funes Mori, on as a substitute in the second half, beat Thibaut Courtois at the far post in the 90th minute.
Even Guus Hiddink, an honourable and dignified man, accepted that Terry was offside when he scored the dramatic equaliser in front of the Matthew Harding Stand.
‘I can say now that Roberto is quite right,’ admitted Chelsea’s interim manager. ‘Why should I deny it? I have seen it. Oscar touched the ball and John was offside, even though he made a beautiful goal. Roberto is right. Over 97 minutes was played, but they were celebrating their third goal in the corner and then we asked the fourth official to add one minute more.’
Their wish was granted, with the referee playing just enough time to extend Hiddink’s unbeaten run since he replaced Jose Mourinho to seven games. Chelsea’s resistance is impressive, earning a point against Everton after they had fallen two goals behind.
Terry had scored an own-goal in the 50th minute, beating Chelsea’s keeper when Leighton Baines crossed from the left after some neat approach work by Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley. Kevin Mirallas put Everton 2-0 up in the 56th minute, controlling a pass from Baines with his left foot and lashing it beyond Courtois in the same movement. It was a peach.
It is then that a team with real designs and aspirations on the top four should have closed this game out, turning to the defensive minded players to get the job done.
Instead they allowed Chelsea to score twice within a minute when Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas finally raised their game to something acceptable in a Chelsea shirt.
Phil Jagielka, for all his experience, allowed the presence of Costa to rattle him, unsettling the Everton defender when the pair of them chased down a lofted pass by Fabregas. Jagielka and Howard collided, allowing Costa to run on and roll the ball into the back of the net. It instantly changed the mood around the place.
In a flash they were level, with Fabregas and Costa combining on the edge of the area. Costa ended the day in hospital, sent for a scan on his shin after a needless, reckless, foul on Baines. He only knows one way to play, and it is rarely within the rules.
It prompted a series of substitutions, with Everton benefiting from the combination of Deulofeu and Funes Mori. Deulofeu’s corner was cleared, but his second attempt was met at the far post by another Everton substitute to put Martinez’s team back in front.
It should have been enough, but Terry’s improvisation earned Chelsea an unlikely point. After that, it was down to Martinez to make his.