Referee ends Spanish third-tier match as ball hits net... and rules out goal
Ponferradina were denied a last-gasp goal in their 0-0 draw with Gimnastica Segoviana – and boy did they not take it well
The Segunda B clubs were playing out an uneventful 0-0 draw on Wednesday night, before the game sparked into chaos in the final few seconds.
Jose Andres Rodriugez Gaitan, more amusingly known as 'Andy', chipped the ball over goalkeeper Monte and into the net.
But referee Alvaro Lopez was having none of it, since he was blowing his whistle at the same time the ball was crossing the line. He ruled out Andy's strike and the game finished goalless, sparking anger from the Ponferradina bench.
Lopez was swarmed by Ponferradina players and staff after the game, while Gimnastica Seogviana's players breathed a sigh of relief after escaping with a point.
“I hit it just as I heard the referee’s whistle go,” Andy said post-match. “If I'd heard it before I wouldn’t have taken the shot. The three whistles were very odd.”
To make matters worse, a victory for Ponferradina would have lifted them out of the relegation zone and up to 15th. Talk about bad luck.
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