Everton's Thierno Barry (second left) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, September 19, 2026
Everton 1-0 Ipswich Town
by James Nalton
at Bramley-Moore Dock
EVERTON’S game against Ipswich was defined and decided by a single goal, as a well-struck James Tarkowski shot was deflected in by Thierno Barry.
Though initially appearing scrappy, it was actually a clever deflection in a game full of not-so-clever deflections masquerading as passes.
Barry rarely had the ball at his feet during the game, such was the nature of the play, but he was still involved in numerous big attacking moments for Everton.
When Tarkowski’s shot flew in his direction after Ipswich didn’t fully clear Kiernan Dewsbury Hall’s cross, Barry diverted it goalward with his chest.
Barry is a striker who gets into positions to be on the end of things and creates chances for others to create chances for him. He has a knack of being in the right place at the right time, like all good strikers do.
He headed a swinging, pinpoint Ainsley Maitland-Niles cross just wide, and later found the net for a second time with a great header from Dewsbury-Hall’s corner.
That was disallowed due to Brennan Johnson being in an offside position in front of Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton, though Walton would never have reached the ball anyway, even with a clear view of it.
The dynamic of the game changed when Abdul Fatawu was shown a second yellow card for diving, having picked up a first for fouling a breaking Dewsbury-Hall earlier in the game.
Everton were now expected to take some control of the game, but it was something they didn’t manage to do, at least not convincingly.
Tyler Dibling was given a warm reception as he came on as a substitute. The 20-year-old was out of the picture for much of last season, but a good midweek performance in the League Cup, and the threadbare nature of Everton’s senior squad, see him being given a chance he looks determined to take.
At just 1-0 up, Everton never felt entirely comfortable. There are too many memories still relatively fresh in the minds of Evertonians of points thrown away and games not seen out.
Seven minutes of added time didn’t help with this, but the home side did see this one out for a deserved win, as Barry’s deflection turned out to be the game’s most telling ricochet.
