Everton won the Premier League match against Newcastle despite a delay of six minutes on Thursday after a protester tied himself to the goalpost.
Everton’s fight against relegation was boosted by Alex Iwobi’s 99th-minute goal as they held on to overcome Newcastle despite being reduced to ten men.
The game, which had been delayed by a protestor tying himself to a goalpost by his neck, came to life late in the second half when Allan was sent off for taking out Newcastle substitute Allan Saint-Maximin with seven minutes remaining.
After consulting the pitchside monitor, referee Craig Pawson reversed his decision to book the Everton midfielder.
At that point, and with 14 minutes of stoppage time remaining due to the protest, a draw appeared to be the most Frank Lampard’s team could hope for.
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Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin led a breakaway in the ninth minute of added time and slid Iwobi through before he struck the bottom corner.
Everton’s only win in 13 Premier League games resulted in wild celebrations at Goodison Park, putting three points between them and the relegation zone.
But, as Lampard and his teammates rejoiced at the final whistle, it felt like a triumph worth far more than that, as they handed Newcastle their second defeat in a row.
Everton resurrects their season with a resounding victory.
Newcastle was in the bottom three and four points behind Everton the last time these two clubs met on February 8th, Lampard’s first league game in charge.
However, a win at St James’ Park and a golden moment for Eddie Howe’s side has advanced them to the stage where Everton is the team in danger of relegation.
This victory, on the other hand, could serve as a catalyst for a team that has struggled for form and, for the majority of this match, appeared to be lacking in confidence.
The fact that the hosts were able to overturn what appeared to be a harsh decision on Allan will please Lampard and his players even more, as they celebrated loudly with their fans when Pawson blew for full-time.
Everton fans were limited to celebrating tackles and interceptions as the game came to a frantic conclusion.
Newcastle, on the other hand, were a well-drilled unit with Joelinton back in the team, and Bruno Guimaraes, making only his third start since joining the club in January, made them tick at the base of the midfield.
The visitors had the better of the first half, with Chris Wood heading straight at Asmir Begovic, who began in goal in place of Jordan Pickford, who was injured.
Everton, who were also missing Donny van de Beek, struggled to create any rhythm, despite Ben Godfrey’s early header being saved by Martin Dubravka. The lively Anthony Gordon missed a kick on the outskirts of the area to end their half.
Protest During The Match
The second half took an unusual turn when a protestor at the Gwladys Street End tied himself to a goalpost, causing an eight-minute delay.
The man, who was wearing a T-shirt supporting the Just Stop Oil campaign, approached the Goodison Park pitch early in the second half and wrapped something around his neck to connect himself to a post.
While security sought to remove him, the match had to be halted. The man was eventually cut free with a set of bolt cutters and brought away from the ground by police, to the boos of the audience.
Just Stop Oil quickly took credit for the action, releasing a statement on Facebook that read: “This evening, Louis, a 21-year-old Just Stop Oil supporter, locked on to the goalpost at Goodison Park wearing a Just Stop Oil T-shirt, leading the referee to briefly halt play.”
The environmental group went on to criticize the government’s North Sea oil policies in its statement.
The incident follows an apparent effort by the same gang to interrupt Arsenal’s match against Liverpool on Wednesday, but no demonstrator made it to the pitch.
However, after the break, Demarai Gray shot wide and Guimaraes mis-hit a shot that was saved, the game swung in Newcastle’s favor when Allan was sent off just as his team was gaining the upper hand.
Gordon had put Dubravka to the test with a curling effort, and Seamus Coleman had immediately appealed for a penalty.
However, as Newcastle moved away, Allan collided with Saint-Maximin, resulting in a booking that was quickly overturned when video assistant referee Stuart Attwell sent Pawson to the monitor.
This resulted in a sour atmosphere at Goodison Park, which was in keeping with Everton’s recent form.
The late respite, as well as the hosts’ ability to hold on as Newcastle pressed for an equalizer, flipped the tone.
Lampard will be hoping that it will now help his team stay in the Premier League.
