Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
A BITTERLY DISPUTED referee's decision over whether a penalty was, or wasn't scored, evoked controversial and contentious scenes during an 11-minute delay between players and officials, on the pitch during yesterday's drawn Cash Plus Premier League match between Arnett Gardens and Tivoli Gardens at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
Leon Strickland scored a penalty he made when taken down by Victor Thompson to put Arnett Gardens ahead in the 18th minute.
Second-half sub Jermaine Allen got a ball that spliced loose and equalised for Tivoli Gardens, capitalising on some panic-stricken and wild attempted clearances by two players at the centre of defence, to bury a well-taken goal past custodian Julian McLeish.
Essentially, it gave the visitors a share of the points that created mixed feelings and even uncertainty over whether Arnett deserved any, owing to the mayhem sparked in the 38th minute when referee Kevin Thomas, after consultation with linesman Ricardo Morgan, ruled that a penalty kick taken by Tivoli's Oraine Simpson went wide and not into the goal.
Thomas appeared to be indicating to a Tivoli player, not taking the penalty, to stay outside the box but he was standing side-on as Simpson took the kick.
Contrasting reactions followed the kick: Tivoli's players celebrating the goal and those from Arnett protesting that it had not scored.
Thomas went over and consulted Morgan, then made the decision. Wild scenes followed as some Tivoli players argued their point with the ref while players from both teams challenged the moot point with each other with a fair amount of shoving.
The game eventually restarted with Arnett maintaining their 1-0 lead after being put a man down when Kowri Pickersgill got a straight red card for using his hand to stop the ball in the goalmouth from a Jameel Thompson header.
Scores
| Arnett | 1 |
Leon Strickland 18th Tivoli | 1 |
Jermaine Allen 68th
|
