Thierno Barry
Thierno Barry
Everton came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1 at the Hill Dickinson tonight, thanks largely to a superb second-half performance from Thierno Barry.
The Blues were well below their best for much of the first hour and fell behind to Yann Gboho’s opener. Barry then scored twice in four minutes before setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to put the result beyond doubt.
Here are our Everton player ratings.
Starting XI
Jordan Pickford – 7/10
Kept Everton in the game with an important save from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto when Coventry were on top. Could do little about the opening goal and handled the late pressure well.
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Merlin Röhl – 5/10
Had a difficult evening at right-back, where he never looked entirely comfortable. Coventry found space down his side, and he offered little going forward before being replaced.
James Tarkowski – 5/10
Not his most convincing night. Made a useful block but was also involved in a penalty incident that Coventry felt should have gone their way. The defence looked unusually vulnerable at times.
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Jarrad Branthwaite – 5/10
Struggled when Coventry attacked with pace, particularly for Gboho’s opener. Looked steadier as Everton took control but will know this was not one of his better performances.
Vitaliy Mykolenko – 7/10
Had his hands full defensively, but his cross for Barry’s equaliser was excellent. That moment helped turn the match around and lifted an Everton side that had been struggling.
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Harrison Armstrong – 5/10
Plenty of effort, as usual, but struggled to get a grip on midfield. Coventry were too often able to play through Everton, and Armstrong could not make much happen in possession.
James Garner – 7/10
One of Everton’s more dependable players on a difficult night. Kept working when things were going against the Blues and helped build the move that brought the equaliser.
Tyler Dibling – 6/10
Showed some promising touches and was willing to take players on, but the final ball was often missing. A mixed performance, although there were moments when he looked capable of making something happen.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 8/10
Had a frustrating spell when little was coming off, but kept looking to get involved. Took his goal brilliantly from a tight angle and gave Everton the breathing space they needed.
Tyrique George – 6/10
Worked hard and did his share defensively. Looked lively when running at Coventry, although he could have made better use of a few promising positions.
Thierno Barry – 9/10 – Player of the Match
Outstanding when Everton needed someone to step up. His header brought the Blues level, he was quickest to react for the second, and his pass set up Dewsbury-Hall. Two goals and an assist tell the story.
Substitutes
Jake O’Brien – 6/10
Gave Everton a more solid look at right-back after coming on. Did what was needed as the Blues saw out the win.
Hayden Hackney – 6/10
Brought some energy into midfield and helped Everton keep moving forward. A useful contribution during the closing stages.
Brennan Johnson – 6/10
Added pace against a Coventry side pushing for a way back into the match. Had a couple of encouraging moments without making a decisive contribution.
Michael Keane – N/A
Came on late for Branthwaite, with little time to make an impression.
Charly Alcaraz – N/A
A late introduction for George, with the result already settled.
Player of the Match: Thierno Barry
There was only one choice. Everton were heading towards a disappointing evening until Barry took charge, scoring twice and creating the third.
It was not a polished team performance, but Barry’s contribution made sure David Moyes could celebrate equalling Harry Catterick’s Everton managerial record with another three points.
Read our full Everton 3-1 Coventry match report for more on tonight’s comeback.
For all the latest Everton news, reaction and analysis, visit our Everton news page.**
Gary Gowers is a sports journalist and the editor of Read Everton, where he leads daily coverage of Everton news, transfers and analysis. He also writes about Manchester City for Read Man City and motorsport for Read Motorsport. A former accountant, he became a freelance writer in 2011 and has written for BBC Sport and Metro.
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