HAND OF DOG
Footballer gutted after stray pooch wanders on pitch and blocks his sure-fire goal
A FED-UP amateur footballer joked he may have to “hang up his boots” after his netbound shot was blocked by a runaway dog.
Ross Hamilton looked certain to score for Ferguslie Star against Vale of Leven AFC in a tense cup tie after homing in on goal with just the keeper to beat.
But the 26-year-old striker was left gobsmacked when a cheeky off-lead Golden Retriever – dubbed Alan Ruff – jumped inside the posts and stopped his shot before it could cross the line.
The IT worker said: “It was just unbelievable. You know you’ve not made it in football when you shoot and a dog blocks your shot.
“You’re at the bottom level at that point. If there was ever a sign to hang up your boots, then I would say this was it.”
Despite a teammate battering in the rebound, the goal was disallowed, changing the course of the game for the Paisley team, who had been 2-1 up at Argyll Park in Dunbartonshire.
The home side went on to win 3-2 in Wednesday’s President’s Cup match.
Ross added: “I was running through, concentrating on keeping the ball on target and hoping to finish it and the dog was sort of at the corner of the goal. As I went to hit it, the dog jumped to the inside of the post. I don’t know if it was chasing it’s own ball or something but I had already committed so I just had to hit it and hope it missed the dog. But nope, it caught it right in the backside.
“As soon as it happened, you can understand that there was a bit of outrage, so the guy quickly left with the dog straight after it.
“The referee then took the decision that it was to be a drop ball and cancelled the goal. There wasn’t much that could be done – it was a bit of a freak accident.
“Obviously this has all played out on Twitter and my bio on it says ‘dugs not drugs’ so everyone is saying to me that I need to change that now.” Ross, who lives with Boxer dog Miley, has been blown away by the reaction on social media.
He added: “It’s been a crazy morning. As soon as I woke up, it was all go and I’ve had to mute the notifications on my phone.”
Online wags named the pooch “Alan Ruff” after Scotland’s legendary No1 Alan Rough.
Vale of Leven AFC are now on the hunt for the owner of the mystery dog.
Coach Paul Scott said: “What we were looking to do is get it to come for a photo with us on Saturday because we’re due to get a team picture done.
“We’re sponsored by the Dog House pub in Balloch so we’d like to get it put up in there.”