SEAN DYCHE headed away from the Blue half of Merseyside with yet more regrets.
And he probably already hates the sight of the £800M Hill Dickinson stadium he never got to manage in after it became the scene of his side’s non-performance.
Sacked in January, he pitched up at his former club’s palatial new home having, he believed, helped Nottingham Forest turn the corner after he replaced Ange Postecoglou five weeks ago.
But this was a backward step that left him furious and even replacing three players at the break did nothing to stop his successor David Moyes enjoying the Toffees’ rise and rise.
Although nobody had a better day than Thierno Barry who finally grabbed his first goal in the victory that completed a journey from relegation trouble when Dyche was sacked to fifth in the Prem table.
Only around 60 seconds had gone when Jack Grealish – this season’s most fouled Prem player – was chopped by Nicolo Savona and the tone was set.
Draw almighty
England World Cup 2026 fixtures confirmed for Croatia, Panama and Ghana games
LOW COSTA
Join the Cheltenham week party in Benidorm with trips from just £153pp
The Forest right back’s name went into Chris Kavanagh’s book but if that stern action was meant to be a warning to others nobody seemed to heed it much.
For more feisty clashes would follow, though not before Everton went ahead only half a minute after Grealish had dusted himself down.
Kiernan Dewsbury- Hall moved forward looking for his third goal in four games – his £25M capture from Chelsea in the summer looking like one of the buys of the summer.
He let fly from a tight angle and his shot did beat Mats Sels, but only thanks to a deflection off Nikola Milenkovic’s desperate attempt to block.
That opener wasn’t the only kind of “fun” going on, James Tarkowski barging Dan Ndoye to the deck right in front of Dyche’s section of the coaching zone.
But while Tarkowski’s challenge was aggressive the attacker made the most of it and VAR James Bell ignored the incident.
Barry also needed treatment after being flattened by Milenkovic while niggles and squabbles carried on all over the pitch.
Dyche just wanted his players to just concentrate on playing football and Elliott Anderson did just that in the 43rd minute.
The England midfielder brilliantly got behind Jake O’Brien then shot through Tarkowski’s legs but his international team mate Jordan Pickford showed why he’s the Three Lions No 1.
But Forest’s momentum was still sucked out of them in first half extra time as Barry was finally able to enjoy some glory..
Iliman Ndiaye carried the ball forward before slipping to the Frenchman and cool as you like, he tucked away his opportunity low into the far corner.
Little wonder he danced for joy for there had been times in the previous 16 games since he arrived from Villarreal that he looked lost and distraught.
But Moyes stuck with him and the fans did so, too, impressed if nothing else by his persistence – and when Beto replaced him just after the hour mark they gave him a standing ovation.
As Barry lapped up the moments after he got it right at last, Forest players got into referee Kavanagh’s ear claiming the ball had deflected off him in the build up to the goal – central defender Morato booked over his protests.
But Dyche was just as unhappy with his side’s display, replacing Ndoye, Savola and Ibrahim Sangare for Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ryan Yates and debutant Zach Abbott.
The changes made no difference, Everton not only retaining control but Dewsbury-Hall did get his name on a third goal in four games ten minutes from the end from close range having also hit the post earlier.
Read the full article here