Torquay United boss Gary Johnson has been left furious at a refereeing decision which was costing them a win at Wealdstone on Saturday.
The call dealt his side a blow to their push for the National League playoff places as they drew at the Grosvenor Vale stadium.
The Gulls currently sit nine points off the top seven after being held to a third successive draw, but it was a disallowed goal that stopped them from coming away with all three points.
In a match played behind closed doors for safety reasons, Torquay had the better start with Stephen Duke-McKenna, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Danny Wright going close with their chances.
Wealdstone came close to breaking the deadlock before half time when Aaron Henry’s free-kick was deflected goalwards and forced a superb goal-line save from Torquay keeper Shaun MacDonald.
The Stones then took the lead when substitute Jaydn Mundle-Smith slotted home in the 72nd minute, before Torquay rallied and Ben Wynter’s leveller from Armani Little’s free-kick earned them a point.
Then in the 90th minute, Keelan O’Connell and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans were left frustrated to a disallowed goal decision during the National League match.
Lemonheigh-Evans played the ball into the path of O’Connell, he smashed the ball into the roof of the net, but the referee cancelled it out for offside – however it subsequently turned out he said the ball had gone out of play, as reports by DevonLive. See the moment for yourself below..
Johnson said: “I have just seen the video and unbelievably that was absolutely in play when Connor played it back for the ‘winning’ goal. That should have been the winning goal and I have just knocked on the referee’s door and obviously they don’t want to speak to you.
“You can’t change it now but it is soul destroying when you earn a goal, you win the game, and somebody has guessed that it is out of play. It has taken two points off us.
“Obviously when they see it they will be embarrassed, but it is just what I have been saying – I said it last week – some officials are not up to it. Some are, some aren’t.”
The manager added: “I didn’t feel that we had enough quality in the final third. We got up there a lot but we couldn’t find that final ball.
“So of course I am frustrated with my own team, but I am very frustrated with the three-man team, or the one-man team if it was one man’s decision, because you can’t guess with those things. You just can’t guess.
“But what do you do? You have got to keep going, hang on in there, and you have just got to pick the lads up again.
“I didn’t think any of them were man of the match; some of them I was really disappointed with, most of them ran hard but without that extra little bit of quality that we should be showing against teams that are in the bottom third of the league.”
Social media users reacted as the Torquay boss is left furious at the refereeing decision costing them a win at Wealdstone…
Ollie Brayford: Goal should have counted, no way did all of the ball go out there
Tim Reed: Whoever made that call needs to go specsavers to get their eyes checked
Robert Boon: I dont think there was any thing wrong with that goal
Adam Hobbs: James Bailey not even close to going out! So furious that the Lino has seen nothing and just assumed it went out! Fucking joke these officials
Ryan Wainwright: Not show how anyone can say that the ball went out judging by that video
Bill Maddison: Tight decision but possibly right. Only needs an edge of the ball overhanging the line, like when the ball is placed for corners.
Richard Medland: Bill Maddison I thought the whole of the ball had to be over the to be out of play
Ross Warner: Looks in to me
Lewis Naismith: Looks like the ball didnt go out, player kept it in
Tom Dumanois: Robbed as usual
Jason Buck: By the time his foot hits the ball it will be out. If we had pressed our advantage in the 1st half this might not have been so pivotal.
@tjd01_: That’s a goal all day long
Not even close pic.twitter.com/i3cc3RUhny
— Tom (@tjd01_) February 27, 2022
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