It was three valuable points gained for Everton and no one can take them away after they defeated Nottingham Forest in the deduction derby. While lawyers plot the two clubs’ appeals, the talking was done on the pitch for 90 minutes amid a backdrop of financial breaches and the relegation battle but Forest ensured there was more off-field controversy at the end.
Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil settled the result with long-range shots that went in off the post to boost Everton’s chances of staying up and put Forest in further peril. It was error-strewn and short on quality, potentially explaining why two Everton midfielders were afforded plenty of space to pick their spots. Without their deductions, Everton would be safe on 38 points.
