Former referee Dermot Gallagher believes the correct decision was made to not award Eberechi Eze a second penalty during Everton's win against Crystal Palace, though notes how there was a better option over yellow-carding the attacker.

The Blues got off to a flyer at Selhurst Park on Saturday - Vitalii Mykolenko scoring his second in as many matches in the first minute. They were instantly pegged back though as Eberechi Eze went down in the penalty area following contact from Jarrad Branthwaite, and the same man stuck away the resulting spot kick.

Sean Dyche's men would go on to seal three points late on through Idrissa Gueye's winner, having lead on three separate occasions. However the main point on contention came in the first half with the scores level at 1-1.

Eze burst into the box once more, this time along the right byline, when Branthwaite challenged again. The Palace man went to ground expecting 30-year-old referee Sam Barrott - officiating for only the fourth time in the top-flight - to point to the spot, however the official instead blew up to award Everton a free-kick and book Eze for diving.

"I do know Eze, that when he gets in those situations to create a chance, it doesn't go through his head to throw himself down in the hope of getting a penalty," Palace manager Roy Hodgson told Match of the Day.

"It might have been a collision and no penalty, I'd have accepted that. But to get a yellow card was not right. It suggest he's a cheat which he absolutely is not. But I couldn't see from the touchline if it was a foul or not."

And it seems Gallagher concurs with Hodgson's statement, explaining how the incident was not worthy of a yellow card - but Everton were correct to have escaped another penalty against them. This will be a lesson for Barrott, he believes.

"I won't knock the referee, because I think he is one of the best up-and-coming referees," Gallagher explained on Sky Sports' Ref Watch. "But one thing l think he will learn is that there is a third option: the third option here was play on, which was a much better option, because it wasn't a dive."

Guest co-host and former Leeds United footballer Danny Mills disagreed to some extent, believing that Eze was searching for a penalty as he went to ground.

He added: "Even though there is a little bit of contact, l think there is still simulation. He is going down for the penalty even though it is not a penalty."