Birmingham City were left frustrated after being denied all three points against Southampton following a contentious late goal. The decisive moment came 19 minutes from time when Cameron Archer poked the ball past James Beadle, ensuring the match ended level at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
Blues boss Chris Davies was furious on the touchline, believing referee Matthew Donohue played a role in the build-up.
Tomoki Iwata looked set to regain possession in midfield, but his path was blocked by Donohue, allowing Southampton to continue their move and eventually score.
Davies’ anger boiled over, earning him a booking before he was later shown a red card for throwing the ball away.
The decision stood because referees are officially regarded as part of the field of play.
Play is only halted if the referee makes contact with the ball and directly interferes, in which case a drop ball is awarded to the team in possession. As Donohue did not touch the ball, the game was allowed to continue despite the obstruction.
Donohue’s positioning, however, ensured he became involved in the passage of play — a fact that infuriated the Birmingham City bench.
Assistant manager Ben Petty, who took media duties following Davies’ dismissal, admitted the incident was difficult to judge. He said that from his vantage point it appeared Iwata had been impeded, but the referee felt the contact was not significant enough to stop the game.
Petty added that while it was disappointing, the officials must be trusted to make decisions in real time.
He also revealed that the referee had not yet explained the call but that Birmingham City had been offered the chance to speak with him after the match.
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