Walsall manager Michael Flynn calls for change with the fourth Rochdale goal surprisingly given yet the ball doesn’t cross the line.
Rock-bottom Rochdale won back-to-back victories following a 4-2 victory against Walsall on Saturday afternoon.
It’s now two victories in as many games for Jim McNulty, the caretaker boss, which has now moved the club within six points to safety and left six games to play in League Two.
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After 23 minutes, the visitors led when Jamille Matt prodded the ball home from Brandon Comley’s flicker at the back post.
Dale went level three minutes before the half time whistle when Max Taylor’s goal was deflected past Owen Evans by Ian Henderson.
They went ahead just two minutes later with Danny Lloyd converting after Abraham Odoh’s shot hit the crossbar.
After Rochdale lost possession early in the second half, cheaply in the opposition half and Knowles ran through and made it 2-2.
Four minutes later, Matt saw a header ruled offside, with Rochdale making the most of the let off, Ethan Brierley opening up the visitors’ defence to send Max Taylor in on goal and the defender sending a stunning strike into the top corner.
Brierley made it 4-2 when Evans’ poor clearance fell to him. Although the goalkeeper tried to get two hands on the attempt, the assistant referee declared the ball to have crossed the line.
In the 65th minute, Dale grabbed fourth, in contentious circumstances, with Brierley picked up on Evans’ scuffed clearance and shot from 40-yards.
The goalkeeper got back and caught the effort, before spilling the ball and appearing to stop it before it crossed the line, although the assistant referee flagged to signal a goal.
On Rochdale’s 4th ‘goal’
Flynn 🗣️“It needs to be looked at. People’s livelihoods on the line and the standards of the officials is absolutely appalling. It’s supposed to be a professional game in English football and they were well off. They were very, very, very poor” pic.twitter.com/6VB7WJXg4b
— Vital Walsall (@VitalWalsall) April 7, 2023
Flynn said the assistant referee who ultimately made the decision was ‘yards behind the incident’ and that there should be no doubt about decisions no matter what league the game was in. He said: “There is enough money at the top level for it to come down and allow for full-time officials, it wasn’t just the fourth goal, their first goal they pushed our defender out the way and nothing was done, I’m not sure why Brandon Comley’s goal was disallowed which would have made it 3-2.
“I can’t say too much because I’ll be fined but I do think the lower reaches of the game get forgotten when it comes to officials, they are part-time in a full-time game. In some ways I don’t blame the linesman because although he was off the pace, he doesn’t train full-time and wasn’t in a position to make the judgement.
“We’re just not getting any luck at the moment other than bad luck and in many ways the end of the season can’t come quickly enough.
“There are still players feeling the effects of coming back like Oisin (McEntee) and now Donervon Daniels who has done his hamstring so in many respects we are still struggling but we have to get on with and I thought there were positives.
“I was pleased for Jamille (Matt) getting his first goal for the club, he has worked really hard to get back to that position and he took the chance well.
“There were other good performances as well and on another day we could have won but we have to learn to defend better or concentrate when we score and are ahead or level because the two goal bursts we are being hit with are killing us at times.”
So that second goal… ⚽️
Here’s the evidence – make your own mind up 🧐
What a move by the way! 👏#RAFC pic.twitter.com/dAhGF6QQbg
— Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) April 8, 2023
Twitter users gave their reacted as the Walsall manager calls for change with the fourth Rochdale goal surprisingly given yet the ball doesn’t cross the line..
@hoelyjades: Sums up the season, just doesn’t cross the line
@LeeHale88: @EFL You need to be looking at this
@Dec76: Hahaha 😆. That’s a shocker but I’ll take it. The linesman shouldn’t be allowed to officiate another league game ever. He’s welcome back at Spotland though next year when we’re playing Dorking. Up the Dale
@garybrierley: The worst decision I’ve ever seen live 😱
@kieronRAFC: Miles in
@keenobee: 😮 that is shocking
@cforrest58: That lino should never be in the EFL again
@KBWAWAW: The EFL has had an absolute shocker yesterday 😭😭😭😭
@danielarcher92: Hard to believe how bad officials are week in week out, it seems for every club in League One and League Two.
@ryanjd52: League 2 officiating 😮💨
@__danknight__: What a day for refs up and down the country, the pen in our game, the lack of one for Barnsley and now this, it’s all absolutely scandalous like
@MR3402: Absolutely stellar day for EFL referees between this, the Oxford penalty and Brayford becoming a goalkeeper
@GazRobinson1: Reffing hell fire
@AlistairBaker: Linos had an absolute stinker
@macskolinge: Never a goal, but fucking hilarious 😂
@ChaffRAFC: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Amazing decision
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