{"id":8426,"date":"2022-02-04T18:01:57","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T23:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2022\/02\/04\/why-middlesbroughs-controversial-equaliser-vs-man-united-was-allowed-to-stand\/"},"modified":"2022-02-04T18:01:57","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T23:01:57","slug":"why-middlesbroughs-controversial-equaliser-vs-man-united-was-allowed-to-stand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2022\/02\/04\/why-middlesbroughs-controversial-equaliser-vs-man-united-was-allowed-to-stand\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Middlesbrough\u2019s controversial equaliser vs Man United was allowed to stand"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An explanation for the goal which drew Middlesbrough level in the club\u2019s meeting with Manchester United this evening being allowed to stand has been provided.<\/p>\n<p>For those not aware, Neil Warnock\u2019s side are currently locked in extra-time in an FA Cup 4th-round showdown at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n<p>This comes after Boro managed to cancel out Jadon Sancho\u2019s first-half opener just past the hour mark, in altogether controversial circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>Matt Crooks proved the man on target, arriving at the back post to slot home into an empty net on the end of Duncan Watmore\u2019s assist:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT ?<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mdrcrooks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@mdrcrooks<\/a> scores against the club he supports for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Boro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Boro<\/a>! ?<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/EmiratesFACup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#EmiratesFACup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dgtNknW8c3\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/dgtNknW8c3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmiratesFACup\/status\/1489712397476515840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Replays of the incident, however, quickly showcased the fact that the ball had struck Watmore\u2019s hand in the buildup, with the immediate assumption, in turn, that Crooks\u2019 strike would be ruled out:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Should this have been given as handball, for Middlesbrough\u2019s equaliser? ? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/a2qZ6ATvsG\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/a2qZ6ATvsG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/talkSPORT\/status\/1489713053499334656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This, though, in fact didn\u2019t prove to be the case, with Middlesbrough\u2019s leveller allowed to stand, much to the understandable frustration of all associated with Manchester United.<\/p>\n<h2>Accidental?<\/h2>\n<p>And now, as alluded to above, an explanation for precisely why the team of officials in charge of proceedings opted against ruling in favour of the Red Devils has been provided.<\/p>\n<p>As per the reliable Simon Stone of BBC Sport, referee Anthony Taylor felt as though Watmore\u2019s hand ball was of an accidental nature, after the ball first bounced off his chest.<\/p>\n<p>After communicating as much to Stuart Attwell, in charge of overseeing the VAR system at Old Trafford, it was subsequently agreed by both parties that the goal stood as a valid one.<\/p>\n<p>This comes on the back of a change in the game\u2019s rules when it comes to the effect of hand ball, whether intentional or not, in the direct lead-up to a goal ahead of the 2021\/22 campaign getting underway.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">On the \u2018handball\u2019, Anthony Taylor felt it was accidental as the ball had bounced up off his chest. VAR Stuart Attwell endorsed this interpretation.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Simon Stone (@sistoney67) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sistoney67\/status\/1489721136959176713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/news\/transfers\/manchester-united-step-up-pursuit-of-number-one-midfield-target-as-overhaul-set-to-commence\/\">Manchester United \u2018step up\u2019 pursuit of number one midfield target as overhaul set to commence<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/news\/arsenal-up-manchester-united-down-how-the-premier-league-table-would-look-without-var\/\">Arsenal up, Manchester United down: How the Premier League table would look without VAR<\/a><\/h4>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 An explanation for the goal which drew Middlesbrough level in the club\u2019s meeting with Manchester United this evening being allowed to stand has been provided. For those not aware, Neil Warnock\u2019s side are currently locked in extra-time in an FA Cup 4th-round showdown at Old Trafford. This comes after Boro managed to cancel out [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12,7],"tags":[13,14],"class_list":["post-8426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-football","category-sport","tag-football","tag-soccer","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8426\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}