Western Morning News (Saturday)
Schumacher is keen to see goal line technology
Pilgrims boss calls for its use after Cosgrove’s header is controversially ruled out
PLYMOUTH Argyle manager Steven Schumacher has declared he would like to see goal-line technology introduced in League One.
The Pilgrims were controversially not awarded a goal near the end of their top-of-the-table clash against Sheffield Wednesday at Home Park on Tuesday night.
Although Argyle went on to win the game 2-1 with a 90th minute header from Sam Cosgrove, the goal that was not given was still a talking point afterwards.
When a header from Cosgrove in the 87th minute was hooked clear by Wednesday defender Michael Ihiekwe via the underside of the crossbar the Pilgrims’ players thought it had crossed the line first.
Referee Andy Davies and his assistant on the Lyndhurst Stand side of the pitch did not award the goal, though, despite the Argyle protests.
Schumacher said: “I would like to see goal-line technology brought in. A decision that goes against you like that could prove costly in the long run. With goal-line technology, I think everyone unanimously across the board has said they have liked it.
“The Championship are using it now, and the Premier League. There has only been a couple of occasions where it hasn’t worked in the amount of games it has been used in.
“If we could get it in League One then, yeah, definitely, but we haven’t at the moment.”
On the incident against Wednesday, Schumacher added: “I did feel at the time it was over. The lads said it definitely looked over. I haven’t seen any more footage but thankfully didn’t cost us because we got one in a minute later.”
It was the second time in the past month that the issue of goal-line technology has been raised following an Argyle game.
When the Pilgrims played Portsmouth at Fratton Park on September 17, the home side thought they had opened the scoring when Sean Raggett flicked the ball towards goal after a long throw-in
It looked like it had crossed the line before Argyle skipper Joe Edwards scrambled the ball away, and there were also claims for a handball by defender Nigel Lonwijk, but the match officials did not take any action.
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley said after the game: “There’s a handball and it’s about two yards over, but I haven’t had a chance to speak to the referee yet.
“We are in the 21st century and to help the officials, I think we should have the technology in professional football. I don’t know why we don’t have it, but his watch would most definitely have been vibrating if we did.”
The Pilgrims return to action today when they welcome Accrington Stanley to Home Park, which will see Matt Butcher come up against his former club.
“There’s a little bit of a connection. Mark Hughes used to be at Accrington, Matt Butcher we brought from Accrington this summer.
“You can gain an insight into how their manager thinks, how they may set their team up and what their players are good at. It could give us some information you might not necessarily know if you are from the outside, so it is important to use those people who have those contacts and can give you a little bit of info – as much information that you can get, the better. It just makes you more prepared.”