CHRIS Davies has explained his frustration over Gus Hamer’s wonder goal that could have ended Blues’ Carabao Cup campaign.
Last year’s player-of-the-year in the Championship fired home an audacious 50-yard strike from just inside the hosts’ half to draw the Blades level following Kyogo Furuhashi’s fifth-minute opener.
But the ball hit referee Gavin Ward with Blues in possession. The laws dictate that if that happens, a dropped ball is awarded to the side that was in charge of it at the time.
That never happened and, glorious as though Hamer’s strike was, Davies felt it shouldn’t have stood.
Coming as it did after the harsh penalty award against Ipswich Town, the home boss felt particularly aggrieved.
He made his feelings known to the fourth official and explained his position at the final whistle.
He said: “I don’t want to make a massive deal out of it – but it is a non-goal. It shouldn’t have been awarded because the rule is that it hits the referee and then they score. It should have been disallowed.
“The caveat to that is if it hits the referee and you win possession back again, it’s okay. But Jay didn’t win possession back again. He was fighting for it, but didn’t get it.
“Thankfully, that didn’t cost us the game. But, after Friday, when I was a little bit miffed with that penalty as well and then I thought, ‘This one as well…’ it would have been rough.
“The reaction is one that you are looking for. I think there was a determination of potential injustice there but there was a clarity of thought, this is how we play, this is what we have got to do, this is how we are going to score a goal, this is how we are going to win this game.
“And they did it.”
Davies’s side had created and wasted a number of chances to put the game to bed and the equaliser, coming as it did with 20 minutes to go, threw the tie wide open.
With the game going straight to penalties, Blues had to re-group if they weren’t to see their good work go to waste.
But Jay Stansfield’s cool finish three minutes from time ensured that they didn’t have to suffer the nerves of a shoot-out from 12 yards.
