What’s the worst way to be denied victory in a cup tie? Penalty shoot-out agony? A wonder-save from the opposing goalkeeper? A last-minute winner from a player who used to play for your club?
It’s time to add another entry to the list: the most unwittingly devastating piece of refereeing we’ve ever seen.
Whitehawk FC, of the National League South, were playing host to Northern Premier outfit Stourbridge in the first round of the FA Cup, safe in the knowledge that victory over the lower-ranked team would put them one more win away from a potential meeting with a Premier League team.
They took an early lead through Glenn Southam, but Dan Scarr’s equaliser meant they had to start again in their quest for victory.
In the dying seconds, Whitehawk launched one last attack. The ball was pumped into the box, got half-cleared and fell perfectly for Javier Favarel just outside the area. Then this happened.
Favarel couldn’t have hit the ball much more sweetly, and watched with delight as the ball flew past opposition goalkeeper Matt Gould.
There was just one problem, though. Referee Robert Whitton had blown up for full-time less than a second before the Argentine made contact with the ball.
Oh, and to make matters worse, the Sussex side saw goalkeeper Ross Flitney sent off for his protests, meaning he’ll have to sit out the replay.
Whitehawk striker Danny Mills, clearly a football purist, gave his reasons for why the goal should have stood.
“I think the way the ball has sat up the referee has to leave it and see what happens,” he said.
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