Moyes wants ref apology as sticky Toffees edge thriller
The Merseyside club emerged victorious from the Britannia Stadium, edging a thrilling encounter 3-2 with goals from Ayegbeni Yakubu, Victor Anichebe and Tim Cahill, who marked his return from a broken metatarsal with the winning strike.
Stoke had fought back from a two-goal deficit thanks to Seyi Olofinjana and Phil Jagielka’s own goal.
However, it was a late penalty decision with the game delicately poised at 2-2 which upset Moyes.
Leon Cort appeared to handle in the box when under pressure from Yakubu in the 74th minute but Wiley awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area.
The decision incensed Moyes so much that he was sent to the stands by Wiley following his protests.
With the possibility of an FA misconduct charge to follow, Moyes still stood his ground and demanded the official apologise if he later realised he had been wrong.
“It definitely struck the player’s hand and he was definitely inside the area. The referee pointed to the spot and then appeared to change his mind,” Moyes said.
“It was infuriating because it came at an important point in the match for us. If I was wrong I would apologise to him and if he was wrong I would expect the same.”
Cahill was a surprise inclusion in Moyes’ starting line-up after recovering from the broken metatarsal that blighted him last season.
But the Australia international marked his return with the winning goal, heading home Mikel Arteta’s corner in the 76th minute.
Moyes said: “I had known for a couple of days that he might be in with a shout (of playing).
“He has looked good in training but it was just that match practice that he was lacking.
“However, I thought he would be okay and I put him in there and he gave the kind of performance you expect from him.
“He is a very good player and he scores very important goals for us.”
With the score at 2-1, Stoke had a decision go against them. Ricardo Fuller thought he had equalised just before the hour when he out-muscled Joseph Yobo on the edge of the area to get to Dave Kitson’s flick header.
The Jamaican took the ball around Tim Howard, tapped into an empty net and wheeled off in celebration, but Wiley adjudged that he had fouled Yobo.
However, Stoke manager Tony Pulis refused to criticise the official.
He said: “Alan was closer than me so I have got to accept his decision. Sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t. We didn’t today and we have to get on with it.”
Pulis also felt the decision that saw Moyes sent to the stands should not have been a penalty for Everton.
“One decision that I was closer than Alan to was the penalty/free-kick against Leon Cort,” Pulis said.
“I actually felt that Yakubu pushed Leon Cort before he handled the ball so it should have actually been a free-kick to us.”
STOKE: Sorensen, Griffin, Sonko, Cort, Higginbotham, Lawrence (Cresswell 86), Abdoulaye Faye (Tonge 81), Olofinjana, Delap, Kitson (Sidibe 81), Fuller. Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Whelan, Shawcross, Wilkinson.
EVERTON: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Fellaini, Anichebe (Vaughan 90), Cahill (Rodwell 81), Castillo, Arteta, Yakubu.
Referee: Alan Wiley.
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