Coventry tasted defeat in their Premier League clash with Everton, but the newly promoted team will hard done by following a series of decisions that went against them

Frank Lampard was left ruing VAR after Coventry were denied two penalties and had complaints over Thierno Barry's decisive goal in their 3-1 loss away to Everton. Lampard's side took the lead on 52 minutes before Everton scored three unanswered goals to go fifth in the Premier League table on Friday.

But Coventry will feel hard done by over three separate incidents. In the first half, Caleb Yirenkyi had his hair pulled by Everton's James Tarowski in the penalty area.

Then in the second period, Coventry striker Taiwo Awoniyi went tumbling over inside the 18-yard box after a tangle with Vitalii Mykolenko. The Sky Blues were also left aggrieved by Barry's second goal of the night that put Everton 2-1 up, with replays showing that the ball may have hit his hand on the way past Carl Rushworth.

Post-match, Lampard told Match of the Day: "A lot of good stuff in the way we played which makes it really difficult to lose the game. Big decisions affected the game, clearly.

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"The VAR ones, VAR looked at them. The hair pull on Caleb. Taiwo, I think he gets contact on the edge of the box which is a penalty. Then the second goal for them comes off the player's hand.

"If you're going to check the angles, there is an angle where it flicks in off his hand. VAR looked at it and decided not. The last touch to score is off the hand, in my opinion.

"I've seen a conclusive angle so I can disagree. I understand they are going to back themselves that's fine and it's hard to say it's not a hair pull. It's an in-between kind of hair pull, that's a funny area to be in so I don't get that one either.

"We have to keep working, I'm seeing progression in the team. We have to work hard. There is a good spirit with us and we have to keep improving."

Meanwhile, Everton manager David Moyes was asked about the incidents and replied: "I've seen the goal, I didn't think it hit his hand.

"I've certainly not seen the hair pull, that's for sure. I think a hair pull nowadays only gets you a booking, doesn't it? I need to see if it was a hair pull in the first place because I've not seen that myself and I didn't even know about it but I will get a look at it and see."

Friday's result means that Coventry could spend the international break in the relegation zone. Their next game is at home to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace while Everton travel to Brentford.