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Phoenix get apology for VAR’s mistakes

AndrewVoerman

The Wellington Phoenix have the response they were looking for from Football Australia’s referees boss, and they’re moving on.

General manager David Dome said yesterday that Nathan Magill had confirmed two errors were made in their A-League Men defeat to Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night. He ended his tweet saying: ‘‘We move on,’’ echoing coach Ufuk Talay, who expressed the same sentiment on Monday, and captain Alex Rufer.

The Phoenix were left fuming at the end of their 2-0 loss in Wollongong on Friday night, which brought their 13-match unbeaten run in A-League Men to an end. Former Phoenix forward Tomer Hemed was at the centre of both incidents. In the first half, he handballed in his own box, during a passage of play which ended with Phoenix defender Joshua Laws putting the ball in the back of Western Sydney’s net.

Video assistant referee Kris Griffiths-Jones looked at the action at the time and ruled the goal out for offside, but failed to spot the handball.

Hemed then put Wanderers up on the hour mark, but only after he gave Phoenix fullback Callan Elliot a two-handed shove in the back to give himself space in the box. Griffiths-Jones was again called on, to check whether the ball had crossed the line, as the Phoenix’s other fullback, James McGarry, booted it away, and they attacked on the counter.

He ruled the goal was good, but failed to spot the foul, and no further action was taken.

Talay flagged the second incident in his post-match press conference, but it was only later that night that they spotted the earlier handball. On Saturday, football operations manager Shaun Gill confirmed they would be asking for an apology and an explanation.

Dome said Magill had told him both fouls should have been spotted by Griffiths-Jones and referred back to Lucas for a final decision.

The Phoenix, who played Western United in the FFA Cup last night, are next in A-League action on Friday, away to Newcastle Jets, as part of a doubleheader with a women’s clash between the clubs.

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2021-12-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281981790880127

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