Reading FC

Demba Ba's 'blatant' handball goal that saw Newcastle United rescue a point at Reading FC
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Reading FC left cursing Demba Ba handball

By Jonny Fordham
October 01, 2012

Brian McDermott was left cursing Demba Ba's 'blatant' handball goal that saw Newcastle United rescue a point at Reading.

Ba twice equalised following goals from Jimmy Kebe and Noel Hunt that looked to have put resurgent Royals on the road to victory.

However, Ba popped up with contentious equaliser that went in off his hand and saw Alan Pardew's side grab a point.

"When you see the goal back it's such a shame because they've made a massive error," rued Reading boss McDermott.

"It's not just happened to us once this season, we had the offside goal at Chelsea so we're not getting a lot of help with big decisions. It was blatant, we knew straight away on the bench, our keeper has gone toward the other corner and if someone puts their arm out like that it's handball.

"Whether it was deliberate or not, it was handball. He went to head it, but he definitely didn't head it!"

Centre-back Kaspars Gorkss, who was beaten to the cross revealed that the Senegal striker had admitted his guilt.

He said: "Demba said (it was handball) himself and apologised to our keeper that he had handled the ball.

"Fair play to him, but if the ref doesn't see it then it doesn't count."

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Most recent user comments 13 of 13

The whole thing was silly. The referee was looking directly at Ba and bottled it.

I wonder if in cricket a batsman would tell a bowler after a game that he edged a ball that an umpire had not give him out too in the game. There is too many poor decisions in games. Tennis and cricket have reviews so should football.

poru, Bournemouth
01/10/2012 at 23:46

I thought Cu...gs played really well at right back. Still won't accept this word!

come on lads
01/10/2012 at 13:40

If Reading play like this every week a mid table position is assured.

I remember, a few years ago, every time Reading scored aplayer went down injured. It just broke up play and gave them a chance to re-gather.

come on lads
01/10/2012 at 13:39

Interesting views that Ba should have owned up about the handball but would the same people being making the same argument if (for example) Roberts had punched one in the back of the net in injury time?

I think referees have made it abundantly clear over the years that they consider themselves to be the sole arbiter and enforcer of the rules on a football pitch (anybody else remember Robbie Fowler telling the ref he hadn't been fouled but the ref giving a penalty anyway?) so nobody can honestly blame players for keeping quiet and just letting the referee make the decisions. It went against us on Saturday - on another day it will go for us. As things currently stand we have no choice other than to accept that.

RBC Traffic Management are Useless, Calcot
01/10/2012 at 13:16

I think footballers need to take a leap out of Klose's book... admitted to a handball when he scored, and convinced the ref to disallow the goal... Take notes, Ba!

Norfolk 'N' Chance, Reading
01/10/2012 at 13:05

Ba's apology is a joke and insulting. He should have declared that fact to the ref.

poru, Bournemouth
01/10/2012 at 12:45

Big P do you recall the Bikey header that Stuart Attwell disallowed in that Watford game or several other 'make amends' decisions we were on the wrong end of?

Effort, selection and performance all excellent on Saturday. You can't legislate for the referee missing a handball. Bigger teams, with more influence, will always get favourable decisions and if they don't, 'they'll scream and scream until they're sick'.

Michael Duberry's Defensive Coach
01/10/2012 at 11:00

Just one of those things. These "decisions" tend to even themselves out

Remember Hunt's "ghost" goal against Watford. None of our team remonstrated with the ref that it didn't go in.

Still a phenomenally improved performance. Credit to the whole team. Just need to keep that up week in-week out

Big P, Reading
01/10/2012 at 10:39

I prefer a method where each side is allowed to contest 3 and only 3 events in any game with the use of video playback. It is a fantastic success in criket and when the crowd await a decision it builds the tension. With a total of only 6 contestable decisions, this would not hold up play too much.

Tilidie, Reading
01/10/2012 at 10:35

And aslo, after watching the Olympics, they use ref requested video reviews in Hockey, and thats a fast game !

Danny0367, Chorley, Lancashire
01/10/2012 at 10:28

Agree with Smiffy. I'm in favour of ref requested video review for any incident where the ref was not able to make a clear descision and it was a game changing event, so not only goal line technology, but this incident also which would have been a different outcome to the game if vid tech was used.

Many say that it would slow the game up too much, but no more so than dealing with injuries on the pitch.

Its about getting the right decision.

Danny0367, Chorley, Lancashire
01/10/2012 at 10:25

I can't really blame Ba for staying quiet, I imagine most players would have done the same thing, but it would be great if footballers were more honest and admit that it wasn't a fair goal. In reality this isn't going to happen but it increases the argument for a video referee. It would take a few seconds to replay the goal and we would get a fairer result. It is always suggested that decisions even themselves out over a season, but there should be a better way, like in Rugby Union, where the correct result is given in real time. With a point lost at Chelsea and 2 points on Saturday, poor refereeing has already cost us 3 points this season.

Smiffy, Reading
01/10/2012 at 09:54

Our performance warranted three points, we had better possession than normal and with a bit of luck would have scored more goals. The game did prove that a team is vulnerable to concede just after scoring, we must keep the back door shut to these top strikers. We needed to up the work-rate from that Spurs defeat, and we did. This was more like the real Reading. URZ

barkhammad, Barkham
01/10/2012 at 09:23

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Reading FC left cursing Demba Ba handball

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