MARTIN Paterson is not convinced there is a place for video replays in football, despite having a legitimate goal at Charlton Athletic ruled out.
The 21-year-old would have taken his tally for the season to eight had referee Rob Shoebridge not wrongly back-tracked on an offside decision he had initially over-ruled.
But, despite suffering the frustration of going five games without a goal, Paterson insists he hasn’t got an axe to grind with match officials.
“I don’t know if we should use that kind of technology in football, I think referees are going to get some decisions wrong. It’s like footballers, they miss chances, but because it’s such a big business now, referees make the slightest mistake and it’s highlighted,” he said.
“Everyone wants to get on at them because they want their team to win, and there’s a lot of money at stake.
“But referees do a fantastic job, I’m not going to sit here and hammer a referee for giving me off-side when I wasn’t, it’s just one of those things.
“I’m sure it will balance out over my career, but at the moment it isn’t!
“I’ve had two disallowed this season, one international goal I couldn’t make any sense of, and that one, so I’m two down!
“I hope it evens out.”
He added: “It was a clear goal. The ‘Skip’ (Steven Caldwell) has headed it, I’m actually on-side, and I gambled on it, and as I’ve gambled, their player flicked it on, so it’s a goal.
“The referee waved play on, so I carried on and put it in, and thought it was a goal.
“The referee, I think, with it being such a big club with a lot of people there, hasn’t fancied giving such a controversial goal, which is a shame, because I think you have to be brave in football.”
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