Former Premier League ref rules on 'interesting incident' that went against Sheffield Wednesday
Former Premier League referee, Chris Foy, says Stoke City’s second goal against Sheffield Wednesday last week was right to have stood.
It was an odd goal to concede for young Pierce Charles, who - in trying to get the Owls up the pitch in search of an equaliser - kicked the ball into the back of Ben Wilmot, only to see to bounce into the net behind him to make it 2-0 at Hillsborough.
The goal sealed Wednesday’s fate in the game, and though there were complaints, including from the Owls players themselves, Foy insists that the ref, Stephen Martin, was correct in his final decision. Wilmot, of course, couldn’t believe his luck.
Sheffield Wednesday’s unlucky bounce
"This is an interesting incident and one which we see very rarely in football, yet one which is good to explain from an educational perspective,” he told Sky Sports’ Behind the Whistle.
"Sheffield Wednesday's goalkeeper has the ball safely in his hands and then attempts to play it down the pitch, and in doing so he inadvertently plays it against the back of a Stoke City player and into his own goal.
"Although the Stoke City player does jump up, the goalkeeper is in full control of his actions and is not prevented from releasing the ball from his hands by any action of the attacker. The decision to play the ball was purely made by the 'keeper and the referee correctly allows the goal to stand."
Charles went on to bounce back with a Man of the Match and potentially game-winning display a few days later against Middlesbrough, and he’ll be delighted to have already but the strange incident behind him.