Everton accuse FA of double standards after Michael Keane red card appeal for pulling player’s hair is rejected

Everton have accused The FA of double standards after their appeal to have Michael Keane’s red card rescinded was rejected by a three-man panel.

Keane was sent-off during Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Wolves after he grabbed at the dreadlocks of Tolu Arokodare; the incident was not spotted in ‘normal’ play by referee Tom Kirk but VAR Chris Kavanagh asked his counterpart to go to the pitch side monitor.

David Moyes was enraged by the decision on the night but his mood has not improved – Keane will miss three games but Moyes cannot fathom how the defender is facing such censure and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli failed to be sanctioned for pushing the stricken Conor Bradley off the pitch.

Moyes said: ‘I’m hugely disappointed, hugely surprised, probably more angry with the panel who chose they thought that was the case because, as a panel, I have to question the three of them. I know who the three of them are on the panel.

‘I’m absolutely amazed they didn’t overturn it. To say it’s violent conduct? We’ve just seen a game where it’s okay to throw a ball at somebody, to push someone and lift them up when they’ve got a bad injury but if you have a little pull of someone’s hair, accidentally, that’s a three-game ban.

‘It’s quite extraordinary, for me. I’m embarrassed for whoever was on VAR.’

David Moyes was enraged by the decision on the night and his mood has not improved

Moyes cannot fathom how Keane’s red card has been upheld while Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli failed to be sanctioned for pushing the stricken Conor Bradley off the pitch against Liverpool

In a statement, Everton said: ‘Whilst the majority ruling of the three-person panel to uphold the dismissal and three-game suspension is a decision we must accept, we are nevertheless surprised.

We appealed in the firm belief the incident did not meet the threshold for violent conduct as defined in the rules, and that the action was neither forceful nor intentional.’