Everton Rally to Beat Coventry, Barry Scores Twice In 3-1 Victory

Everton recovered from a second-half setback to beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday, with Thierno Barry delivering an outstanding performance to inspire the comeback.

Coventry took the lead seven minutes into the second half when Yann Gboho finished off a move involving Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, giving the visitors a deserved advantage after a competitive first half.

However, Everton responded quickly, with Barry heading home Vitalii Mykolenko’s cross in the 56th minute to restore parity.

The French striker completed the turnaround five minutes later, finding the net again after meeting Tyrique George’s delivery. Coventry players protested that Barry had handled the ball before scoring, but a VAR review found no conclusive evidence to overturn the goal.

Barry then turned provider in the 81st minute, releasing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall with a precise pass. The midfielder finished from a tight angle to seal the victory for David Moyes’ side.

The encounter also featured several controversial refereeing decisions, with Coventry manager Frank Lampard expressing frustration over three incidents involving VAR.

In the first half, Everton captain James Tarkowski escaped punishment following an apparent hair pull on Caleb Yirenkyi inside the penalty area. After the break, Taiwo Awoniyi went down following contact from Mykolenko, but VAR ruled that the foul occurred outside the penalty area.

Coventry also questioned the decision to allow Barry’s second goal to stand, with Lampard insisting the striker had used his hand in the move.

The victory lifted Everton to fifth place in the Premier League table, while Coventry remained two points above the relegation zone.

The result also marked Moyes’ 592nd match in charge of Everton, equalling the club record held by former manager Harry Catterick.