Moyes hits out at decision that enraged Everton and left West Ham boss 'scared'

Matues Fernandes clearly handled the ball inside his own area as he sought to prevent Thierno Barry from creating an opportunity as the Blues chased a late equaliser.

The Premier League’s matchday centre said the appeals were turned down because the midfielder “accidentally handled the ball while grappling with an opponent”.

Yet that explanation caused fury among Everton’s players, while Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo went so far as to admit: “I was scared, I was worried.”

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For Moyes, the explanation for the decision was almost as frustrating as the call itself. Asked whether he believed it should have been a penalty, he said: “Yeah, I do, yeah. I think it would be, it's still pretty harsh on Fernandes, but he certainly punches the ball out, he puts his arms round [Barry].

“It's not as if the ball comes on to his hand, his arm goes towards the ball. And I think today's the first time I've heard the word accidental being used.

“I thought that word had been taken out of the vocabulary really, because I don't think anybody's used that word in the whole season really, on handball situations.”

The penalty was part of a dramatic finale at the London Stadium that ultimately went against Everton. Shortly after the penalty controversy, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cancelled out Tomas Soucek’s second-half header, only for Callum Wilson to win it in stoppage time for West Ham.

Moyes conceded he was “very disappointed” to lose a second successive game to a late goal. On the performance, he said: “I didn't think it was a great game from either side.

“I think the heat might have played a little bit. It was a warm day, probably the first of the year. But I didn't think we deserved to come away with no points in the game.

“We didn't start the opening part of the second half particularly well, but we played much better in the second part of the second half and got a goal back and could have maybe had another one.

"We looked at that time as if we were the better team. Obviously West Ham getting the [first] goal gave them a chance, something to defend, something to hold onto and [when] we got the goal back I thought it was deserved.”