Plus: 'World class' Michael Oliver and his VAR team get big decisions right at Wembley where Luton were promoted to the Premier League
Monday 29 May 2023 13:17, UK
On the latest Ref Watch, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses if Yerry Mina bit Dominic Solanke in Everton's final day win over Bournemouth.
INCIDENT: Following a clearance in the Everton box, Jordan Pickford and Dominic Solanke wrestle one another to the floor which sparks a bit of chaos. Yerry Mina gets in the face of Solanke, who then appears to suggest the Colombia defender bit him during that incident. The referee and VAR could find no serious act of foul play.
VERDICT: No evidence to suggest there was a bite.
DERMOT SAYS: "There is no evidence, wherever you look, that he bit him. Solanke reacted but the referee had a good view. VAR did study it. It was a long review and they said no evidence - and I'd support that. I can't see anything to say he did bite him."
STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: "Mina was caught up in the occasion, playing with his heart on his sleeve. You saw him up against Erling Haaland two weeks ago, what was he doing? Pitching people, scratching, pulling - I don't why he does it. Don't give the referee an opportunity, especially in a game of that magnitude. If Everton went down to 10 men that could have cost them."
SUE SMITH SAYS: "It actually looks like he's kissing his neck more than anything. He's just trying to wind him up. You can't prove he bit him."
INCIDENT: In the dying embers of normal time Luton thought they had won it as substitute Joe Taylor capitalised on a Jonathan Panzo error to race through and score, only for VAR to correctly rule that the ball had struck his hand on his way through to find the back of the net.
VERDICT: Correct call.
DERMOT SAYS: It comes off his arm. The VAR picked this up very quickly. As he went onto score the handball had directly led to a goal scored by the player so it was correctly disallowed.
INCIDENT: Jordan Clark was booked for simulation after going down inside the penalty under pressure from Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson.
VERDICT: Correct call.
DERMOT SAYS: "What a spot. I was at the game and from where I was sat, everyone thought this would be a penalty. It was such an important decision and Michael Oliver gets it spot on. That's why he was appointed for this game to make the right call on a massive decision. That game is the most expensive game in the world, you have to get those decisions right. He's one of the best referees in the world and he's been put on that game for a reason as he knows how to handle the big games. And when the big decision came, he got it right instantly.
"[Using VAR] is a massive step forward. What you don't want in the play-off matches is the game being affected by a refereeing decision."
STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: "Brilliant decision. A really good spot."
