Given the differing views which are all credible , who'd be a referee below the PL ? , he had one look at it in real time .
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Given the differing views which are all credible , who'd be a referee below the PL ? , he had one look at it in real time .
I respect the job a referee has. It's so difficult. My gripe with Refs is that some of them seem to have an encyclopedic outlook on football. I suppose i could liken it to a psychologist who has not much practical experience on life or suffering trying to give their patients textbook advice.
The key issue in all this is the contact by Cosgrove on the keeper. Was it a foul ?
All the other stuff around it--whether we deserved to win, the keeper wasting time. other decisions in the game, the keeper play acting an exaggerated fall, the keeper messing up losing the ball, etc are all, with all respect, not important.
It's only my opinion but I still think Cosgrove ran towards the keeper with the intention of making contact with him whilst he had the ball in his hands. The interpretation of "minimal contact" seems to be at the centre of it all.
The days of the Nat Lofthouse shoulder charge knocking the keeper and ball into the net are gone and the pendulum has swung the other way where refs are punishing any contact with a keeper. I thought in the general interpretation of refs in the modern game nine out of ten refs would have given a foul for making intentional contact whilst the keeper had safe control of the ball. Had a keeper just made a save and was laying on the grass curled up protecting the ball for a few seconds as keepers do whilst the players disperse, and somebody ran fif**** yards to brush his foot against his leg with minimum contact he would probably have got booked.
As I have said it is just my opinion that Cosgrove was fortunate to have a foul not given against him and I respect all other opinions which are different to mine.
i would normally expect a referee to follow the pack and award a free kick because that would be the easiest decision and attract no attention.
The keeper was clearly 'at it' and on this occasion it didnt pay off and the correct decision was probably given. After all there are only 2 people who know how much contact was made.
Take the 3 points gladly.
Goal.