Gravesen a coward, says Shearer
Newcastle striker Alan Shearer labelled Thomas Gravesen a coward for his horror tackle on Olivier Bernard.
The blatant foul went unpunished by referee Neale Barry and Everton swept up the park, earned a penalty kick and scored the winning goal.
It put a serious dent in Newcastle’s title hopes but kept Everton in contention for a Champions League place.
Shearer felt Gravesen intended to hurt Bernard and insists the Everton hard man should have been sent off.
“It was a coward’s challenge by Gravesen because Olivier went to win the ball and did win it, and Gravesen went in to hurt him and he hurt him badly,” said Shearer.
“It is a challenge that could finish a player’s career. It should have been a straight red and everyone could see it.
“For Everton to go up the other end and score a penalty rubbed salt into the wounds.”
Newcastle chief Bobby Robson conceded his side’s title chances had gone.
But he was as angry as Shearer about Gravesen’s foul on Bernard.
Robson said: “The decision in the end cost us the match and has probably cost us any chance we had of the title.”
Bernard lay injured on the ground, although Robson admitted he did not blame Everton for not kicking the ball out.
He said: “In the circumstances I’m not sure my lads would have kicked it out either.
“But frankly the referee could have taken control. If he had given the free-kick or stopped the play when someone was injured the situation wouldn’t have arisen.
“It was a massive defeat and has killed our chances. We were hovering around waiting for Arsenal or Manchester United to make a mistake but this defeat kills any realistic hopes of that.”
As Bernard lay on the pitch following Gravesen’s bad tackle, the ball was swept up the other end by Wayne Rooney.
He fed Kevin Campbell and his fellow striker was brought down by Jonathan Woodgate.
Robson confirmed that Everton boss David Moyes apologised for his players not kicking the ball out to allow Bernard to have treatment.
Rooney was the talking point for Evertonians again, scoring an early goal to send Everton on the way to victory.
And, after Laurent Robert had produced a stunning equaliser, it was 17-year-old Rooney whose run and pass created the penalty converted by Dave Unsworth which sent Everton into fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
