Back from the game - Doncaster

[bigmike]

Having been at the game rather than making my mind up from the BBCs less than 2 mins highlights Shields was not offside.

I was at the game, too, and THEN couldn't tell.

But I watched the replays a few time to overcome my fallible first-sight and fallible memory.

Watch the goal again on the bbc website and it clearly shows Shields running past Harte before getting the ball.. Not even marginal offside.

I notice that Sean O'Driscoll was complaining that the Harte freekick should not have been a freekick.. He seems to have missed the fact that their second was from a free kick that should never have been

[Snowball]

I notice that Sean O'Driscoll was complaining that the Harte freekick should not have been a freekick.. He seems to have missed the fact that their second was from a free kick that should never have been

Agreed, looked like a good tackle by Howard, who was still arguing with the ref that it was good as they came out for the second half

[Wycombe Royal]

I notice that Sean O'Driscoll was complaining that the Harte freekick should not have been a freekick.. He seems to have missed the fact that their second was from a free kick that should never have been

His biggest issue was the ball going out of play in the build up to us winning the free kick.

Also a Donny fan has said that the ref has been placed on "report" follwing his performance and the linesman (who called both the free kick for their second goal & missed the ball going out of play) has been suspended from running the line in Championship games.

I can't find any confirmation of that though.....

[bigmike]

I notice that Sean O'Driscoll was complaining that the Harte freekick should not have been a freekick.. He seems to have missed the fact that their second was from a free kick that should never have been

His biggest issue was the ball going out of play in the build up to us winning the free kick.

Also a Donny fan has said that the ref has been placed on "report" follwing his performance and the linesman (who called both the free kick for their second goal & missed the ball going out of play) has been suspended from running the line in Championship games.

I can't find any confirmation of that though.....

I somehow cannot see that happening to be fair. Certainly not for an alleged ball crossing the line incident. Sounds like the Donny fan has a case of sour grapes

[Maguire]

Goal 3. Mistake by Harte but a bit unlucky

How? He just totally fukked it up. That's all. It happens.

I KNOW he f---cked up. I said so. It's unlucky because had he missed the ball
the player was offside, had he got a slightly firmer contact he'd've cleared it.

I don't mean "Harte was unlucky" HE screwed up. RFC were a tad unlucky.
Sometimes we make a mistake and get lucky, this time it was the opposite.

Simple.

Why would him missing the ball make their player offside He's offside or he isn't, whether Harte touches it or not. "Simple"

[Wycombe Royal]

His biggest issue was the ball going out of play in the build up to us winning the free kick.

Also a Donny fan has said that the ref has been placed on "report" follwing his performance and the linesman (who called both the free kick for their second goal & missed the ball going out of play) has been suspended from running the line in Championship games.

I can't find any confirmation of that though.....

I somehow cannot see that happening to be fair. Certainly not for an alleged ball crossing the line incident. Sounds like the Donny fan has a case of sour grapes

This is what the Donny fan posted:

It was posted on our forum by our fans director. The fans director at Rovers who heads the Viking Supporter Club has a direct line into the board etc and it came from the chairman to him. Hence why our fans tend to have bits of information related to the club that others don't. I agree it does seem extreme, but he got the word from those who deal with officials etc and it seems to have stemmed from the reports from the assessor etc.

[Snowball]

Why would him missing the ball make their player offside He's offside or he isn't, whether Harte touches it or not. "Simple"

I'm told the player ran into space anyway, but if he's standing in an offside position and Harte "plays the ball to him" isn't he then NOT offside? Isn't that a bit like the first Scunthorpe goal?

[brendywendy]

i too thought the ball backheeled by long was,if not over the line,then about to roll over b4 mills belted it. Should get the assist at least!

UNLUCKY FOR SHANE. Him getting the goal would have been good all round

he did look at millsy very funny as he ran of fcelebrating, and from my excellent viewpoint id say it would have been given to long if it was an oppo defender that kicked it in like mills did

[Maguire]

Why would him missing the ball make their player offside He's offside or he isn't, whether Harte touches it or not. "Simple"

I'm told the player ran into space anyway, but if he's standing in an offside position and Harte "plays the ball to him" isn't he then NOT offside? Isn't that a bit like the first Scunthorpe goal?

The ball was played towards the goalscorer though so Harte's intervention would make no difference - Shiels would've been flagged if he had been offside (ftr I don't think he was but I'm sat in the North Stand so hardly ever have firm opinions about line calls)

[Royal With Cheese]

You might therefore argue that if we had a team full of Australians we could be top.

Stupid argument, but if we had 11 players of Fed's calibre we'd be top of the league.

Quoted for posterity.

Seriously Snowers, how are your stats going to back that up?

[Snowball]

Where would you rank Fedders as a keeper in this league? Top 6, say?

And if every player we had was a international and in the top six for his position, we WOULDN'T be top of the league?

Feds was 36th best player in the league last season according to Actim. If we had a squad of players
and all at that same level (ie "as good as Federici") we'd have a solid block of "best players" from
around 36 to 50.

Newcastle had 5 in the top 30, then 4 at 39, 48, 54, 83, and the rest of the squad outside the top 100
and they walked this league.

[Kitson12]

Newcastle had 5 in the top 30, then 4 at 39, 48, 54, 83, and the rest of the squad outside the top 100
and they walked this league.

Amateurs, I remember when we had at least 10 in our 106 season.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I notice that Sean O'Driscoll was complaining that the Harte freekick should not have been a freekick.. He seems to have missed the fact that their second was from a free kick that should never have been

His biggest issue was the ball going out of play in the build up to us winning the free kick.

Also a Donny fan has said that the ref has been placed on "report" follwing his performance and the linesman (who called both the free kick for their second goal & missed the ball going out of play) has been suspended from running the line in Championship games.

I can't find any confirmation of that though.....

It was said on Radio Berks after the game that the ball rolled on the line, perhaps slightly over

the problem is that too many people (including the Doncaster manager, it seems) just don't know basic laws of the game.

the whole ball has to be over the line to be out. Rolling just over the edge doesn't make it a throw-in.

[Royal With Cheese]

Where would you rank Fedders as a keeper in this league? Top 6, say?

And if every player we had was a international and in the top six for his position, we WOULDN'T be top of the league?

Feds was 36th best player in the league last season according to Actim. If we had a squad of players
and all at that same level (ie "as good as Federici") we'd have a solid block of "best players" from
around 36 to 50.

Newcastle had 5 in the top 30, then 4 at 39, 48, 54, 83, and the rest of the squad outside the top 100
and they walked this league.

Interesting. Hadn't thought about it like that.

I certaintly wouldn't rate Fed's as high as you appear to but fair play to you for explaining it.

[Snowball]

Thanks Royal

[Snowball]

I did go to the game, close to the front G7, and watched the highlights on the OS

Now having watched quite a few times on Sky Plus in slow-mo, I have to say Mills didn't have a great one.

One goal looks to me to have come off his shoulder. I can't be sure but the Donny
fans were singing, "There's only one Matt Mills!" immediately after the goal.

Second goal he's not really goal-side and let's the striker get his header in. Not great defending.

Third goal, though clearly originally Harte's error, you can see Mills is flat-footed
and reacts a bit slowly, then seems to be in slo-mo and standing off when the Donny
player turns inside. I definitely think he should have done better.

That's three Xs. He was half responsible for the first v Scunthorpe, didn't take his man
for the second (free header)... similarly the free header at Leicester, and wasn't he a
fair bit responsible for the Swansea goal?

[Snowball]

The first Reading goal.

I just can't tell if Shane really got a back-heel and it was going in anyway.


Anyone get a better view?

[sandman]

I'd suggest for the 3rd that Mills was "flat-footed and reacts a bit slowly" was because he didn't expect a vastly experienced left back who's played at the World Cup and in the Champions League to make such a stupid mistake.

[Snowball]

I'd suggest for the 3rd that Mills was "flat-footed and reacts a bit slowly" was because he didn't expect a vastly experienced left back who's played at the World Cup and in the Champions League to make such a stupid mistake.

Fair enough, but he has a number of seconds to react after-the-error and doesn't.

It's worth revisiting.

[sandman]

Revisit it all you like it was down to Harte and Harte alone.