PALACE CONFUSION AT SCREEN TEST VERDICT
Murray’s winner stands after video review as Brighton book Boro trip
So, after all the fuss about video referees, football took its first tentative step into the 21st century with an fa Cup tie settled by a scruffy goal which still managed to inspire debate.
It was scored with only three minutes remaining and credited to Brighton’s former Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray — but it was not his affiliation which sparked controversy.
as replays were shown on screens around the ground, Crystal Palace players, staff and fans demanded a review. Murray could be seen stooping to make contact with his body as he tried to ensure a header from centre half Uwe Huenemeier made its way into the net.
He was trying to touch it in with his chest and the striker said the ball glanced his knee on the way in, but there was a suspicion it might have grazed an arm, too.
Palace fans grew hopeful there might be an escape route, while in the television studio the experts studied replays and had to admit it was hard to tell.
Somewhere in a compound near Heathrow, Neil Swarbrick, the video referee, was examining the footage and there was certainly no clear evidence of a mistake by the officials at the game.
on the pitch, andre Marriner made no move towards his pitchside screen as all eyes turned his way. Murray’s goal would stand and Brighton heldeld on to their slender lead. d. the episode suptic
supplied a dramatic climax to an otherwise re mundane tie which was s strangely muted considering the simmering illfeeling between these clubs.
the crowd was s below capacity, y, with Palace’s ticket ket allocation cappedd on security groundsds and the two managersrs made a total of a dozen changes to the teams selected previously in the Premier League.
two-thirds of those were made by Brighton boss Chris Hughton — while roy Hodgson omitted Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke from the Palace squad.
Priorities were clear enough: the prospect of a trip to Middlesbrough in the fourth round did little to warm the cockles and both managers seemed relieved to avoid a replay.
Stoppages disrupted the early flow when Izzy Brown and Jeffrey Schlupp were forced off with what looked to be serious knee injuries after contesting a loose ball in a strong but clean tackle. andros townsend suffered an ankle injury, was replaced at half-time and went home on crutches.
Brighton dominated the first half and were wasteful in front of goal, but took the lead through captain Dale Stephens, who burst into the area on to a pass from ezequiel Schelotto and drove low past Wayne Hennessey. Palace
traveltravelled south having inghaving loslost only one of their previprevious 11 games bbutt managedd onlyl one effort on target in the first half.
they improved after the interval and Bakary Sako levelled with a brilliant long- distance strike, fizzed across a slippery surface past goalkeeper tim Krul.
Moments later, Sako rolled past Connor Goldson and smashed an effort into the side-netting, before Brighton responded by creating a cluster of clear chances.
Sam Baldock rattled a post and Beram Kayal missed the clearest opportunity, firing over. an effort from tomer Hemed on the turn was too close to Hennessey and Baldock accelerated clear of the defence only to miss the target.
then came the late winner. Solly March, who excelled with his dead-ball delivery, launched a free-kick, Huenemeier won it in the air and Murray applied the slightest of touches. It had to be Murray, the 34-year-old striker on as a late substitute, to sink Palace, where he spent four years.
the goal came with an element of confusion but ultimately the technology helped to ensure a correct decision was reached.
We were warned — or should that be reassured — that this technological advance to video referees would not mean the end of disputed decisions.
as for the rest of the recording, the best way Swarbrick can assist might be to destroy the tape so nobody has to watch it again.