Kane branded "f****** cheat" for role in red card before Everton get last laugh

03 April 2023 , 21:27

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To put it politely, Everton are thoroughly sick of the sight of Harry Kane.

Their fans put in rather less politely of course, branding the Spurs striker a ‘f****** cheat’, after he added a new dimension to the torment he has inflicted on the Merseyside club for the best part of a decade.

It was his obligatory goal, from the penalty spot, with 22 minutes remaining, which continued his incredible scoring run against the Blues, but it was his almost pantomime-villain behaviour which threatened a riot at Goodison.

Kane tangled with Abdoulaye Doucoure just before the hour mark, and when the Everton midfielder unwisely thrust a hand towards his face, the England captain theatrically went down in instalments.

It was a suspiciously delayed collapse, the striker almost saying ‘oh no I didn’t’ as the crowd accused him of diving, but it was enough for referee David Coote to brandish the red card, despite the howls from the terraces.

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Those howls continued to the dying moments, when the game was finally evened up as Spurs sub Lucas Mora produced a horrible challenge on Michael Keane…who exacted sweet revenge to send this famous old stadium into raptures.

Mora was instantly dismissed, and moments later the Everton centre half strode forward to smash a thunderous shot into the roof of the net, and even out Kane’s opener from the penalty spot.

It gave Sean Dyche’s side a valuable point, and at least offset the insult which Kane had added to the injury of his theatrics, when he scored from the penalty spot against his favourite whipping boys.

Abdoulaye Doucoure struck Harry Kane in the face (Offside via Getty Images)

He showed his has no fall out from his World Cup penalty miss, when he comprehensively outfoxed his England keeper Jordan Pickford - who knows his spot kick routine rather well, to send him the wrong way after Michael Keane had tripped Christian Romero in the penalty box.

It was his 15th goal in only 16 appearances against Everton, the England man scoring more goals only against Leicester in the top flight.

That briefly took Tottenham into third place in the Premier League, and seemed to provide an answer to somewhat similar accusations from Tottenham’s sacked manager Antonio Conte, who, like Everton’s disgusted fans, also effectively accused his players of cheating before departing.

They were selfish, the Italian had suggested, and didn’t play for the team, but for themselves. In third place, that claim didn’t look too convincing, the manner of Tottenham’s late surrender suggested there may be some truth in it, even if they are still in fourth, albeit having played two games more than Manchester United in fifth.

Abdoulaye Doucoure was sent off following the scuffle (Getty Images)

It was stupid in the extreme from Moura, but there were only minutes remaining, and they seemed to freeze in the atmosphere just as they had done in Conte’s last game at Southampton.

It was Keane’s first goal since that famous win here at the end of last season against Palace, which kept them in the Premier League, and this one could prove to be equally as important, as it drags them out of the bottom three.

Kane was - naturally - booed off at the end as Everton’s fans rose to their players, who showed the spirit that could keep them up, even if they don’t have the goalscoring threat of England’s centre forward.