RIGHT CALL!
Prendergast says ref was correct to disallow JC’s Super Cup goal
FORMER FIFA referee Peter Prendergast has said that referee Leon Brown made the correct call by disallowing a free-kick goal to Jamaica College (JC) in their semi-final encounter with Kingston College (KC) in the ISSA-FLOW Super Cup at Sabina Park on Saturday. JC were trailing 2-1 in added time in the second half, when Tyreek Magee fired an indirect free kick, which he thought was supposed to be a direct free kick, straight into KC’s net. Had the goal been allowed to stand, the scoreline would have been 2-2 in the last seconds of the match, possibly meaning that the teams would have gone directly to a penalty shootout if no more goals followed. However, the referee disallowed the goal and indicated to JC’s players and officials that the ball did not touch a player on its way into goal. KC went on to win the game 2-1. Prendergast told The Gleaner that the referee made the right call by not awarding the goal.
“The referee had his hand up in the air, which is an indication that it is an indirect free kick,” said Prendergast. “An indirect free kick is one from which a goal cannot be scored by an opponent unless the ball is played or touched by another player.
“An indirect free kick was awarded because there was no contact [even though Brown blew the whistle for dangerous play],” he said.
“The indication of an indirect free kick is a hand up in the air and he (Brown) keeps his hand up in the air until the ball is touched by another player or until the ball goes out of play.
“The ball was kicked and went straight into the net and not touched by any other player. Therefore, it cannot be a goal, so the referee made the correct decision of not awarding a goal,” Prendergast pointed out.
JC VERY UPSET
However, JC’s manager, Ian Forbes, said that they are very upset with the referee’s call because his team should have been awarded a direct free kick because his player, Rolando Barnett, was kicked in the face by KC player Shamar Bloomfield.
“It was signalled a goal by him (Brown) and it was waved off,” said Forbes. “I heard comments after the game that the reason why it was waved off is that it was because it was an indirect free kick. We are puzzled because our player was kicked in his face by the opposing player and as rules are concerned, that should be a direct free kick,” Forbes said.
“It was a mistake made there by the referee, and I hoped that in a match of that magnitude, they would at least try to get the best available official to officiate,” he said.
Kingston College will meet St Elizabeth Technical in Saturday’s final at the same venue.