'Deliberately handled' - Ref accepts blame for handball goal in d Cup final

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

The man who was in charge of this season's Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Pepsi/ Digicel daCosta Cup football final between first-time finalists Lennon High and Rusea's High has accepted responsibility for the controversial goal, which decided the eventual champions.

Rusea's Anthony Walker's 110th-minute goal was converted with his hand, but referee Patrick McPherson ruled that the goal was legal. The extra-time goal turned out to be enough to give Rusea's their ninth title.

The Jamaica Football Federation Referees Committee has found the team of officials - which consisted of McPherson, Donat McKenley, Melvin Reid and Robert Lindsay - guilty of less than proficiency in applying the laws of the game.

They have also been deemed to have committed a serious technical error by not detecting an infringement (deliberate handball), which resulted in a goal that decided the outcome of the game.

As a result, the officials have been withdrawn from active refereeing at all levels with immediate effect, until December 31, 2010.

They will once again become eligible for appointment on January 1, 2011.

In a letter of apology to Lennon High, the JFF, his colleagues and other stakeholders, McPherson took responsibility for the costly blunder.

"Upon reviewing the game, I realised that the ball was deliberately handled by the attacker from Rusea's High School, giving him an unfair advantage," McPherson wrote.

"The position adopted by me did not provide me with the best viewing angle as I was positioned directly behind play. To further compound the problem, there were others players blocking my view. At that point, I did not adjust my position to get a better view, which would have enhanced my decision-making capabilities," he went on.

Others guilty

The officials, who stood in this season's ISSA/Busta All-Island under-14 final between Jamaica College and Cornwall College, were also found guilty of committing the identical offences as their counterparts and have also been banned.

The extra-time winner, which was scored by Dominic James and enabled the Old Hope Road-based school to retain their title, was also converted with the use of the hand.

The officials from that game - Garfield Gardener, Jermaine Yeesing, Lenval Peart and Yakeeni Malcolm - have been withdrawn from active refereeing at all levels with immediate effect. They will once again be eligible for appointment on January 8, 2011.

In the interim, the JFF Referees Instructors will be conducting remedial work with the match officials. The JFF has accepted the committee's recommendations.