The Brighton player was not happy with the refereeing or the Toffees in the 1-0 loss
It would be fair to say Brighton have not taken defeat to Everton well. The Blues battled to earn a 1-0 win on the south coast on Saturday thanks to a penalty from Iliman Ndiaye in the first half.
Everton had to withstand heavy pressure in the second half and even had to play out the final stages with 10 men after an injury to Orel Mangala. However, they stood firm and the wild celebrations at full time sparked an angry reaction from the hosts.
After the game, Brighton defender Joel Veltman, who gave away the penalty after a VAR check deemed he handled the ball, said he was unhappy with the decision. He was also far from complimentary about the Blues’ playing style on the day.
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“[The penalty decision] was a long ball forward from them and I was sandwiched between two guys,” he told PLP. “I got a little push from the right hand side that moved my hand forward and the ball was there. When you fall your automatic reaction is to try to get your hands forward onto the ground before you hit your head, it was more a reaction than a purpose handball.
“[Without the handball] I would 100% have headed it or cleared it with my feet without the push, like a corner kick or something.
“I think the fans were booing because we were 1-0 behind and then they were unhappy with some of the referee’s decisions. I understand their frustrations. At home against Everton we have to do better, we need to look in the mirror and not blame other things.
“Everton have those qualities to how do you say it ‘park the bus’ and wait for a counter attack and at times hope for some breaks.”
The win moves Everton seven points clear of the relegation zone having played a game less than their rivals at the bottom of the standings. Both Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers were beaten on Saturday.
