Winter stunned by `beach ball' strike

18 October 2009 08:23
Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter branded the decision to allow Sunderland's winner against Liverpool as "absolutely amazing". Darren Bent's strike beat Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina with the help of a sizeable deflection off a beach ball which had been thrown onto the Stadium of Light pitch by an away fan. Referee Mike Jones conferred with his assistant but decided the goal should stand, helping Sunderland to a 1-0 win. Winter told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm absolutely amazed. It is basic law in football. The goal should just not have stood. The laws of the game state that if there's an outside interference the game has to be stopped. "Talk about an outside influence - the ball went in off the beach ball and completely deceived the Liverpool goalkeeper. "I am absolutely amazed that for a referee at that level of football, that between him, his assistant, the fourth official, they didn't see what had happened and give the correct decision."

Source: Eurosport