Ryan: We got what we deserved

Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan said Albion got what they deserved in their 2-0 defeat at Everton this afternoon.
Mathew Ryan. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)Mathew Ryan. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)
Mathew Ryan. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)

A Gaetan Bong own goal and Cenk Tosun's strike in the second half took the Toffees to victory and the winning margin would have been greater but for Ryan saving a late Wayne Rooney penalty.

Albion went into the match on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run but struggled to get going and Ryan said: "We got what we deserved at the end of the day. Our principles weren't up to the standard of the last few weeks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It's a lesson that when you're not up to those levels, days like this happen and hopefully it's a lesson we can all learn from quickly."

Ryan was especially disappointed with Everton's first goal when Bong turned Yannick Bolasie's cross into his own net under pressure from Theo Walcott.

He said: "The first goal we turned the ball over cheaply and then you've got Bolasie who's a right-footer playing on the left and for me it's a cardinal sin if you're allowing somebody to come in on his right foot into the centre.

"It's a more dangerous area and I'd rather we force him down the line. (Leighton) Baines was overlapping and we had (Ezequiel) Schelotto there covering but we allowed him inside too easily and he gets the ball to the back post.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"They wanted it more today. We let them into the final third on too many occasions and then you're asking for trouble and that was the case today.

"We allowed them to dictate too much and always felt on the back foot."

Keep up with all the top football news and transfer gossip from England, Scotland and beyond with footballwire.co.uk