EPL REVIEW- EVERTON 1 STOKE 0- SHAY GIVEN'S OWN GOAL EARNS TOFFEES SECOND LEAGUE WIN IN THREE GAMES

Another week, another deeply contentious penalty decision and another defeat but Stoke’s manager did not have the appetite to rant or rave. This, he explained, was something he foresaw.

‘I feared we would be penalised more readily than other teams,’ said Hughes, after his side slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park. ‘It has happened to me before with previous teams, with the new directives or whatever you call them.

‘We are getting the thin edge of the wedge and being penalised. There was a similar incident in the Tottenham-Liverpool game. That wasn’t given. Maybe because it was two high-profile teams on the TV and they don’t get them given against them.’

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE BY DOMINIC KING AT GOODISON PARK

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg 7: Holgate 7, Jagielka 7, Williams 7, Baines 7: Barry 7, Gueye 7: Bolasie 7 (Davies 88mins), Barkley 6 (Funes Mori 84mins), Mirallas 8 (Kone 70mins): Lukaku 7

UNUSED SUBS: Robles (GK), Deulofeu, Lennon, Oviedo

GOAL: Given (OG 51) 

BOOKED: Barkley

STOKE CITY (4-1-4-1): Given 7: Bardsley 5, Shawcross 6, Cameron 6, Pieters 6: Whelan 6: Diouf 5 (Sobhi 78mins), Allen 6, Imbula 5 (Bojan 78mins), Arnautovic 5: Crouch 5 (Walters 65mins)

UNUSED SUBS: Haugaard (GK), Muniesa, Adam, Ngoy

BOOKED: Pieters 

Attendance: 39,581

Referee: Michael Oliver 7

Man-of-the-Match: Kevin Mirallas

Following the furore after they faced Manchester City, when they were their own worst enemies, seven days on Hughes was aghast that another of his defenders was deemed to have committed the defining decision of the contest.

This time it was Phil Bardsley, who was deemed to have pushed Ashley Williams in the 50th minute. There were no major appeals from Everton’s players but referee Michael Oliver was adamant and pointed to the spot without a moment’s hesitation. Bardsley, Hughes said, was “ very disappointed”.

The situation was exacerbated when Leighton Baines’ effort ended up in the back of the net via the head of Stoke goalkeeper Shay Given but such is Hughes discontentment with the new rules at present he wants to hold a summit with referees chief Mike Riley.

‘But would it make any difference?’ he asked. ‘I am not too sure. There has to be that consistency. That is the key word. If that is how games are going to be refereed, we accept that but it has to be across the board. I am sure there will be many incidents like this one or last week.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes shouts instructions to his players during a fairly tentative opening 20 minutes

‘We are seriously thinking of changing our approach to set plays. We have to consider zonal marking, which I have never done in my career or we may have to take certain individuals away from man-marking. It is what it is. Hopefully it will settle down and everyone will revert to a bit of sanity.’

Hughes’ opposite number Ronald Koeman, who has now made the best start by an Everton manager since 1994 with seven points from nine games, had sympathy and, had the boot been on the other foot, would most likely have been unable to keep a lid on his emotions.

‘It is always difficult for a referee,’ said Hughes. ‘I can understand, Mark will be angry. It is the second time in a Stoke match the referee is giving penalties in these situation and it is not consistent.

‘I was watching Liverpool-Tottenham and the referee is warning one player he grabbed the shirt of an opponent. Look out the second time, it is penalty. That is not the same. We are not happy with that, that it is not consistent.’

There could be no disputing, however, that Everton were full value for the victory. They dominated from the start, rattled in 18 shots on goal, and in front of new England head coach Sam Allardyce, who was watching – among other Ryan Shawcross and Phil Jagielka – moved up the table.

Shawcross made a telling intervention in the 28th minute, diving to head a ball back into the arms of veteran keeper Shay Given after Kevin Mirallas had cut the ball back following good work by Yannick Bolaise, who was starting for the first for Everton in the Premier League.

That was one of a number of near misses that left Ronald Koeman spinning on his heels in frustration; it was one way traffic during the first 45 minutes as Everton, inspired by the rejuvenated Mirallas, poured forward at every opportunity.

Urged by Koeman to get as high up the pitch as possible, Royal Blue shirts swarmed forward and only erratic finishing and desperate defending kept the score 0-0; Kevin Mirallas, Williams – who had a header kicked off the line by Peter Crouch – Romelu Lukaku and Gareth Barry all had chances to thwarted before the break.

It seemed as if the second period would follow a similar pattern when a tremendous move in the 47th minute, involving Barry and Mason Holgate, ended with Lukaku bearing down on the Gwladys Street goal but his shot was smuggled away by Shawcross.

Much to Koeman’s relief, however, the breakthrough would soon arrive. Baines’ penalty lacked conviction but it did not matter; Given parried the his shot onto the post but the rebound hit him and rolled in.

Stoke, belatedly, found some kind of rhythm and they poured forward but their best chance was squandered by substitute Jon Walters after he failed to control a pass from Marko Arnautovic with goal at his mercy. This was not the start to the campaign Hughes had expected.