Top referee Graham Poll was accused of "bottling out" of the decision that could have given Everton victory in last night's Merseyside derby. Poll disallowed a goal in the dying seconds when Liverpool keeper Sander Westerveld struck a free-kick straight at Don Hutchison, with the ball bouncing back over the line. Everton's players surrounded the Hertfordshire official, who insisted afterwards that he had already blown for full-time before the free kick had been taken. TV replays failed to conclusively confirm that claim, and Everton defender Dave Unsworth summed up the feeling in the Goodison Park camp.
"Obviously we are happy with a point, but I think we were robbed a bit," he said. "I have to say that the referee has bottled it." Enraged Everton chief Walter Smith accused Poll of taking the easy way out. Poll, who will be English soccer's only referee in Euro 2000, claimed that he had already blown for full time before Liverpool keeper Sander Westerveld took the last-ditch free-kick that hit Hutchison and bounced into the net.
"To clear things up, the game was over before the free-kick was taken," Poll said.
