Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Lucas should have been sent off in derby - Everton's Roberto Martinez

LIVERPOOL -- Everton manager Roberto Martinez said Liverpool should have finished the Merseyside derby with 10 men as he criticised referee Martin Atkinson for not sending Lucas Leiva off.

Lucas was booked for a foul on Ross Barkley but Atkinson opted not to show him a second yellow card when he brought James McCarthy down, leading to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers substituting the Brazilian in a 1-1 draw.

Martinez said in a news conference: "I don't understand that decision. Lucas was very clever. His technical fouls were very clever but the second one was from behind and should have been given a yellow card. Martin the referee has a clear view. We should have played against 10 men in the last 15 minutes."

The Spaniard said his side deserved to take all three points, particularly for their second-half display, and rued saves from Simon Mignolet to deny Steven Naismith and McCarthy in the first half.

"Mignolet was outstanding. Steven Naismith's header was as good a save as you are going to see," he said.

"My pleasing aspect if we played that game with the second half 10 times we would win it nine. Tactically I asked my players to do something very different. They were quite brave and I thought they were magnificent."

Martinez praised his goalscorer Romelu Lukaku, adding: "The hold-up play from Rom was the strongest we had in an Everton shirt."

Seamus Coleman missed the game with a hamstring injury and John Stones with a knee problem but Martinez said that they will join up with the Republic of Ireland and England respectively for international duty.

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