Tonight's match

[TheFunk]

 Don't forget though their player should have got a second yellow in the first half.

[drfc1951]

What a death pass from Meite that was though...

He was really struggling at the time with his hamstring.

[rover-n-out]

Where can I view the clip please. Thanks.

[RobTheRover]

Meite looked to have pulled his hamstring just before that underhit back pass,  so could have had a bearing on it.

I noticed Sam kept getting very straight on when he wanted the ball rolling back,  and he got away with another one in the 2nd half. Surely he's been taught to make an angle?

[RedJ]

Where can I view the clip please. Thanks.

https://t.co/wMbCZl0EM6 here.

[LincsRover]

Just got back and wow, what a match! Fantastic commitment, energy & belief, running to the end and a last minute winner! Fantastic, and payback for the game at Watford when they got a penalty that should never have been. Credit to Watford, they played well with 10 men and we struggled with them. Billy looked like he lacked confidence so hope that goal is the first of many! Great performance by Copps & Cotts, usual energy from browny and a great header for the goal.

The result was better than the performance and tonight, and games like it, Are why I love being a rovers fan! Getttttttt innnnnnnnnnnn!!!!

 

[PDX_Rover]

Watford player goes in two footed on Sam. Clear a you like IMO

[RTID75]

The most exciting game I can remember for ages. It was a privilege to be there. When we have a full squad (or something near) we're not a bad team at all.

Top stuff tonight lads!  Thank you!

Their 'penalty' - seeing that video clip only reassures me that I saw it right when it happened. Foul on Sam - end of discussion.

[eastender]

A vital win but I think it could've been wrapped up before their equaliser - also think Johnstone got very lucky - the amount of time he held on to the ball for far too long was ridiculous!

Johnstone never held on to the ball to long , he just kept it at his feet until Deeney came and forced him to pick it up.

[Dare to dream!]

That save he made early on was top class thought it was going in from the west stand, if it does we don't win tonight.

[RoversAlias]

That vine shows a tricky angle - from where I was sat, I saw Sam pull at Deeney to bring them both tumbling to the floor and in my opinion, I trust my live eyes at the game over that replay and I think Johnstone is a very lucky boy and us a lucky team.

But Dickov is right, they even out over a season don't they!

[Al4475]

Eastender,
Yeah he did do that mate - very funny and very professional as well!

However,  on at least 6 occasions the ball was also in his hand for far too long and I was watching the clock cos it was really beginning to frustrate me! 3 times were at least 12 seconds and there was another time early in the second half where he had it in his hands for nearly 20 seconds.

Not complaining as such - iust think on another night another ref could've booked him on several occasions!

Young Johnstone is a confident and cocky little git that's for sure! Haha!

[MiKA]

What a difference an angle makes, from where I was sitting I wouldn't of battered an eyelid had Sam been sent off and they'd been awarded a penalty.  From the video clip, which was closer to what the ref would have seen, their player had gone in 2 footed and was on the deck when Sam collided with him.  Yes Sam stopped him getting back up but by then the fowl had been made.

[Northants Nomad]

Well I wasn't there so I can't comment from personal experience. However from twitter and commentary it was described as a stonewaller. Looking at that clip I can't agree. A "stonewaller" is supposed to be obvious to everyone from every angle. From that angle it looks like the Watford player is sliding in, therefore does not have the ball under control (nor himself!) and trying desperately to get lucky. They then fall in a heap and yes, I am sure Sam does all he can to make sure the Watford attacker doesn't get up quickly.

In the current game, the goalkeepers are protected. This starts move as a dubious slide towards/on the keeper. Anything Sam does is in a second phase.

I would love to see more clips from more angles but from that clip, I can see the element of doubt which means it can't be given, against the starting point of protecting the goalkeeper.

But, hey, it's just an opinion and I respect those that see it the other way. That said, anyone remember a game against some team from the Watford area where a dubious penalty award cost us? It evens out.

[POD]

Like most people at the time, I thought it was a penalty and a red card.

On seeing the incident on the Vine clip, I agree that Deeney goes in two footed against Johnstone and fouls him.

However, the referee did not give the foul against Deeney, so he must have thought that challenge was OK?

As the ball breaks loose, I see both players falling to the ground and it looks to me as if Johnstone has pulled Deeney over.

If the ref hasn't penalised the foul by Deeney in the first instance, then surely he must give the foul by Johnstone and send him off?

[Filo]

The ref wanted to give a penalty, he practically begged the lino to make the call, lino bottled it!

[Dare to dream!]

The ref wanted to give a penalty, he practically begged the lino to make the call, lino bottled it!

They were my thought's at the time, he was waiting for the lino to flag.

[jonnydog]

West lino didn't even move when their player kicked Husband right in front of him, so there was no way he was going to decide on a penalty... useless!

[IDM]

If the ref hasn't penalised the foul by Deeney in the first instance, then surely he must give the foul by Johnstone and send him off?

How far had the ball gone by then though?  Would Deeney have "clearly and obviously" got to it and scored? So they could have had a penalty and no red card.

However, this does go some way to even out their 5-feet-outside-the-box-and-moving-away-from-the-box penalty that won the reverse fixture at their place.

On another matter, we should have been sharper (no pun intended) in front of goal!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Impossible to tell exactly what happened from that video although I really don't think Deeney fouled Johnstone. After that, as they fell, it's anyone's guess.

You can make a case that Johnstone grabbed Deeney's shoulder as they tangled, and pulled him over. Red card- penalty.

You can make a case that the two of them just got innocently tangled up. Johnstone fell on top of Deeney and Deeney accidentally bowled the two of them over as he scrambled to get up. Play on or drop ball.

Watching that video a dozen times, it's still unclear what really happened. In that light, the officials were right not to assume the keeper was wrong and send him off.

[bobjimwilly]

although initially I thought it was a stonewall and should have been a red for sam, the more I watch that clip the more it looks like a tangle and would have been a difficult decision for the ref to award the pen.

[Bentley Bullet]

Assuming that wasn't a two footed challenge on Johnstone, can someone explain to me what a two footed challenge actually is?

[RobTheRover]

Assuming that wasn't a two footed challenge on Johnstone, can someone explain to me what a two footed challenge actually is?

Its a tackle made by Verne Troyer

[ravenrover]

Just look at Husband in the bottom right hand corner, he knew it was a pen look at him looking at the ref. From the clip inconclusive but from a better angle ie where, I sit definite pen and a sending off.

[Wild Rover]

Why was it a penalty. Deeny went at the ball, Johnstone went to block, Deeny momentum took him into johnstone, who fell on Deeny, he didn't hold Deeny down, so no penalty for me.

[ravenrover]

Why was it a penalty. Deeny went at the ball, Johnstone went to block, Deeny momentum took him into johnstone, who fell on Deeny, he didn't hold Deeny down, so no penalty for me.

You seem to be ignoring the wrestling hold that Sam used to pull Deeney down, there was a huge sigh of relief and incredulity from everyone in the West stand where I sit,when the ref didn't taken any action.

[Bentley Bullet]

Yes but isn't there always a huge sigh of relief when one of your players makes a challenge in the area and the ref plays on? It looks to me like a definite two footed challenge from the Watford player.

[Dutch Uncle]

With my admittedly red coloured spectacles on it seems to me that the crucial question is who reached the ball first - and we can't tell from that clip. If Sam is there first then no pen and Deeney is potentially in big trouble for two footed late challenge. If Deeney is first then Pen for the foul, and red card if Ref deems DOGSO - i.e. if Deeney would have reached the ball in time to have a reasonable chance of getting his shot in.

As someone else has said, the wrestling afters are irrelevant

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Having not been last night, and just watched the highlights (a fill 5 mins for a change) my first reaction was no pen. Had Deeney not have dived in, them Sam wouldn't have 'fellen' on him. Once Sam had straddled him then it's a typical wrestle who gets up first. Good decision ref.

Looking at the chances we created, there's hope for the future and goes to show you only need to convert one, no matter when it comes. Great cross by Copps and header from Brown for the first.

   

[Jimmydee]

Deeney's challenge looked like a leg breaker on that clip, Johnstone was lucky to escape a serious injury.