Worksop reeling at being dumped out of FA Trophy after goal is controversially ruled out

Worksop Town have been left reeling at being dumped out of FA Trophy after a goal of theirs is controversially ruled out.

The Northern Premier League Division One East outfit exited the competition in bizarre circumstances as they were beaten 2-1 at Leek Town on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers thought they had taken the lead when Jay Rollins put the ball past Daniel Roberts having been played through on goal by Liam Hardy.

😤 The goal that never was!

Exceptional work from @JayRollins0 to get around the defender and finish the chance, but the ball goes over the line, hits the wheel inside the goal, and loops back out, with the referee having none of it!#UTT 🐯 pic.twitter.com/pxdH1k5Dsl

— Worksop Town FC (@worksoptownfc) October 30, 2022

But instead, Leek Town have goals a different style to the normal nets used on 3G pitches, and the ball can be seen hitting a wheel inside the goal and bounced back out, with the referee cancelling it out and ruled that the ball had instead hit the post.

The decision left Worksop far from happy and Leek took advantage, racing straight after into a two-goal advantage thanks to William Hugill and Thomas Carr getting on the score sheet.

Liam Hughes got one back for Worksop in the third minute of stoppage time, but it was too late for them, resulting in losing their place in the FA Trophy.

Manager Craig Parry was clearly frustrated after the early decision. He said via Worksop Guardian: “The opening minute incident completely changes the game; we’ve come away to a side that’s on an 11-game unbeaten run and we’ve scored a legal goal.

“I can’t get my head around how he hasn’t given a goal and it gave them a lift and we’ve collectively lost focus from it as a result and they’ve taken advantage.

“I don’t think we were at our best today.

“But when something so big happens to you like that so early on in the game, we all have to keep calm which includes the players and us as a management team too.

“Taking the incident out the way and like I’ve said it wasn’t a great performance from us. In all honesty, you want to do well in the cups, and everything is a little bit raw at the minute, but I think it’s probably the right thing for us now and refocus on the league.”

This is what twitter users said with Worksop reeling at being dumped out of FA Trophy after their perfectly good goal is controversially ruled out…

From inside… pic.twitter.com/mfF15etvOl

— Worksop Town FC (@worksoptownfc) October 30, 2022

@hydeunited_com: That’s a really poorly designed goal. I’m not convinced the wheel is a full ball length back??!!?? Why would they have it so close to the post?

@foreverayellow: why would the ball bounce up into the air like that if it hit the post? because it didn’t and the referee fucked up big time there

@DanHyde8: The design of the goal is a joke and shouldn’t be used and I have seen it happen before 🥱

@adamupsall: The farce of lower level plastic pitches and playground equipment being used. Here having a direct impact on the outcome of a game. @FA this is unbelievable, yet can and will happen again without action.

@KyRiley9: Unbelievable this, would wheelie piss me off!

@saulhenderson: Who’s idea was that goal frame 😂 Ball is blatantly going to hit the inside frame and go in not bounce back out. Picture in the comments is comedy 😂

@JoshMcCluskey8: Absolute piss take this 🤦 shouldn’t be allowed to have wheels in goals 🙄

@TheGrove01: This is a disgrace !! #TheGoalThatNeverWas

@AlexMathieson95: Well. If you ever needed a more ‘against modern football’. Here it is.

@robin1302: Goals with wheels right by the post should be banned in non-league football. Stuff like the below is ridiculous.

@oaphotography1: What on God’s earth are those goal frames? Surely they can’t be allowed and if they are they want banning.

@TidyTouch10: Should have been a goal in normal circumstances, but looking at this I honestly don’t think the ball clearly crossed the line (from this angle) because of them very poorly designed frames somebody thought was a good idea! 🤣

@IanJones_16: They wonder why there’s dissent in the game toward officials. You can’t condone foul and abusing language towards match officials but you can understand it. They’re ruining the integrity of the games and the competitions they officiate in.

@Rob4481587: Seen plenty of these before, these goals should be banned. No place for them in anything other than training.

@1RyanPugh: The goal design is shocking! Would be absolutely livid at this 🙈

@Wards187: This is why your referees don’t get the respect you want. @FA_PGMOL – it’s embarrassing at every level of the game they are costing people results every game but have no accountability and get defensive when it’s even questioned. My games don’t matter but this FA trophy and worth

@CrosenderWay: Unbelievable this you would be absolutely livid if this happened to your team so glad #Marine never went down this route with the goals they are awful.

@TrevorOakley1: It’s amazing that goals like these are allowed to be used in senior football. Officials need to ask themselves some tough questions too as the way the ball bounces out should have made them realise what happened.

@SamGraham700: Wow 😭

@BeaumontDMD: Who on earth designed those goalposts? They are terrible. I can see that happening again

@FredTitmus43: This happens way too often with these portable goals, we’ve had a couple not given this last year. Someone needs to design a sloping cover for the wheels so if the ball hits it it will go in and not bounce out

@dazzlerball: Yet another goal bites the dust with these poorly designed goals that the fa have to ban! For match use. It’s now becoming a regular thing now.

@cdonfielding: It’s happening over & over 😧 unlucky & a game changer

@GazMozz62: Not acceptable, the FA should act straight away and ban those goals, they should be changed asap.

@Jay_Blogs: That’s ridiculous!

@Koorky180: This is even worse now I’ve seen it again on video 😡😡 In hindsight Craig should have took the players off the pitch and refused to carry on. Got to be one of the worst decisions ever in football ⚽️ in over 50 years watching the game 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

@AndyPearson68: Time to get rid of those 🛞 🛞 👀

@Buggey20: Doesn’t look good for the referee that but them nets are shocking and that was bound to happen in some game one day