'The best solution': Former PL referee has his say on controversial decision in Newcastle's win over West Ham
Newcastle United versus West Ham United was a game with so many talking points it was hard to know where to even begin in the post-match round-up. Now two days on and things are still being debated.
The Geordie Nation should, at this point, be looking ahead to tomorrow's game against Everton, but we're still clarifying things that went on during Saturday's crazy 4-3 win over West Ham.
The game had seven goals, two penalties - one extremely controversial - a goal that incensed the home crowd, a red card and both managers booked, and those are just the top-level highlights.
We've seen plenty of discussion surrounding the award of Newcastle's second penalty, but there hasn't been too much discussion about West Ham's second goal which came when Newcastle had a player on the ground with an apparent head injury.
Newcastle were adamant West Ham's second goal should not have stood
Eddie Howe and his team were livid that West Ham were allowed to take the free-kick quickly with Fabian Schar down holding his face. We said after the game that if the shoe was on the other foot we'd have been praising the quick thinking, but as it was one that went against us, we also have the right to feel aggrieved.
The reality is, the referee was close to the incident that saw the Hammers awarded the free-kick and will have seen that the "head injury" to Schar was nothing more than being caught in the face by the hand of the West Ham player - nothing even close to being a concussion risk, however, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports News (Monday 1st April - 11:40am) that he believes the referee should have called it back when the free kick was taken quickly.
“I think the best solution is, the minute Paqueta takes the free-kick, you blow the whistle.
“You say ‘sorry, but Schar’s got to be treated’, and you bring the free-kick back. If you blow immediately, you don’t then have the consequence of the ball ending in the back of the net. It would have been easier to kill it off quickly.”
Can we just have a normal game on Tuesday, please?
The goal just added to the drama of the entire game in the end with it being one of the most intense games of football we've watched in a long time.
Hopefully, when Newcastle take on Everton under the lights at St James' Park on Tuesday night, things are a bit more run of the mill, or at least less likely to induce a stroke.
If nothing else, not having so many players having to go off injured would be a good start!
