Hand of God’ goal gifts Rusea’s daCosta Cup

[Sickko]

Sport
WEEP NOT, LENNON! - ‘Hand of God’ goal gifts Rusea’s daCosta Cup
Rusea’s claim 9th title
BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
Sunday, December 05, 2010

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...ENNON-_8212808

[Mosiah]

Dislike how we continue to use Maradona's words to describe tiefing hand ball goals. Ain't no hand of God nutten. God a nuh tief!

[MdmeX]

An awful shame

An awful shame
ON THE SPORTING EDGE
Paul Reid
Thursday, December 09, 2010

It is really a shame that the 2010 ISSA/Pepsi/ Digicel daCosta Cup final will be remembered for one incident, a handled ball in the 110th minute that decided the title.

The game should have been remembered for the spectacle that it was. Two very good football teams battling it out from the first whistle to the last with none able to break down the other.

It should have been remembered for Lennon High of Mocho, Clarendon marching into Jarrett Park and matching Rusea's High of Hanover in every aspect of the game.

The 2010 final should have been remembered for the guts shown by the Rusea's goalkeeper Richard Trench who, after being injured in the first half and in obvious pain, played the second half and most of the extra time periods with his face heavily bandaged.

Instead, the game will be remembered for Anthony Walker winning the game for Rusea's by using his hands to swat the ball into the goal with mere seconds left and the spectre of penalty kicks looming.

The game will be remembered for referee, Patrick McPherson and his number one assistant missing what should have been an obvious infringement. If the Lennon coach, Merron Gordon who was at least 80 metres away from the play was able, along with hundreds of spectators to see Walker handle the ball, there can be no excuse for McPherson, the assistant Robert Lindsey andfourth official Donat McKinley for missing it.
I cannot imagine the pain and anguish of the Lennon team and supporters, having played so well and travelled so far to be denied by an infringement so obvious.

If they had lost by (for argument sake) a two-goal margin and one goal was questionable then I am sure they could have lived with that.
Sports, like life, can be funny since immediately after the game, one St Elizabeth Technical supporter commented that the result of the game was karma catching up on Lennon who they claimed had benefited from dubious officiating calls in the last two games leading up to the final.

While that may be so, it is still unacceptable that any game, least of all a final, should end in such a manner. It will be interesting to see how soon McPherson and his crew are back in action after such an obvious blunder.
On very few occasions are punishments meted out to referees made public. This process, in my view, should be more transparent.