After a very delayed flight back from Tenerife, I got home at 3.30am and went to the ground for a men's Sunday League game, 10pm ko.
Cracking match, it's 4-2 with 88 mins gone, not an incident in the game, it's been as good as it gets. The away team score a screamer from 35 yards out and push for the equaliser. Free kick from the edge of the box comes in and the keeper punches unchallenged and makes a mess of it. As the ball is in the air his own player attempts to win the header but heads it towards his own goal and takes put his own keeper who also lands on another defender. As the ball is going in there's half the home team on the line and they all throw themselves at the ball. I see a couple of hands and heads try to defend the ball but the ball clearly strikes a hand and I give a very clear penalty. The issue here is I have no idea who's handled it. Theres 3 players on the floor claiming they've been fouled (although that's easily diffused by the defender who caused it all who admits it was him). So I try the old trick of saying "come over here" to the defenders on the floor. None of them fall for it. Its literally the last kick of the game. The CAR hasn't got a clue. So I give the penalty and thats it. Theres 3 players I narrow it down to who could've handled it but I just didn't see who.
Anyway the penalty is saved and I blow for full time. Cracking game and its hand shakes from both teams. The manager of the away team is a loose cannon anyway and he was demanding a red but I explained that I didn't see who handled it. His team understand but he's adamant that I should red card somebody but that's just frustration.
Excellent game and one with 2 mins to go was as easy as it gets. Another reminder of how any game can throw up unexpected incidents.
Cracking match, it's 4-2 with 88 mins gone, not an incident in the game, it's been as good as it gets. The away team score a screamer from 35 yards out and push for the equaliser. Free kick from the edge of the box comes in and the keeper punches unchallenged and makes a mess of it. As the ball is in the air his own player attempts to win the header but heads it towards his own goal and takes put his own keeper who also lands on another defender. As the ball is going in there's half the home team on the line and they all throw themselves at the ball. I see a couple of hands and heads try to defend the ball but the ball clearly strikes a hand and I give a very clear penalty. The issue here is I have no idea who's handled it. Theres 3 players on the floor claiming they've been fouled (although that's easily diffused by the defender who caused it all who admits it was him). So I try the old trick of saying "come over here" to the defenders on the floor. None of them fall for it. Its literally the last kick of the game. The CAR hasn't got a clue. So I give the penalty and thats it. Theres 3 players I narrow it down to who could've handled it but I just didn't see who.
Anyway the penalty is saved and I blow for full time. Cracking game and its hand shakes from both teams. The manager of the away team is a loose cannon anyway and he was demanding a red but I explained that I didn't see who handled it. His team understand but he's adamant that I should red card somebody but that's just frustration.
Excellent game and one with 2 mins to go was as easy as it gets. Another reminder of how any game can throw up unexpected incidents.