The FA have confirmed that goalline technology was not in use during Newcastle’s FA Cup fourth round win over Birmingham, Mirror Football can reveal.
Ethan Laird gave the League One side a shock lead after just 40 seconds, stabbing home after a corner. Joe Willock then equalised in controverisal fashion before Callum Wilson put the visitors in front two minutes later.
Tomoki Iwata fired in from 25 yards out to equalise for the hosts at the end of a mad first-half. Both sides pushed for a winner after the break and it was Newcastle who found it when Willock prodded in his second of the night with eight minutes to go.
But it was the midfielder’s first goal which caught the headlines amid doubts it had actually gone in. Blues keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell was caught behind his line having closed down Wilson before the striker put the ball across for Willock.
But he appeared to have recovered and caught the ball before all of it had crossed the line. Assistant referee Nigel Lugg though immediatedly began waving his flag to signal for a goal.
While Lugg was confident the ball had crossed the line, replays threw the decision into doubt, sparking widespread confusion. The FA have confirmed to Mirror Football that goalline technology was not in use at St Andrew’s.
That is because the technology is only in place for the FA Cup at the grounds of clubs that play in the Premier League and the Championship. With Birmingham in League One, that means the technology was not used, despite the Midlands side having been in the second tier as recently as last season.
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It means that Lugg’s decision was crucial and it saw the official come under heavy fire, with former Everton star Leon Osman insisting everyone had been left confused.
“The assistant referee flagged really early as if he has given the goal. You put the flag across the chest to say a goal but he was still waving it like he had given an offside or throw,” he told Radio 5 Live.
“It’s just confused everybody. Newcastle thought they missed the chance and Birmingham thought they got away with one. That looks awfully close and it would have been very difficult to give.”
Willock meanwhile was keen to focus on his performance, rather than the controversy around his first goal. He told BBC Sport: “I was just trying to give my best. It has not been an easy season for me, I’ve been waiting for my chance to push on and hopefully this is the start of the rest of my season.
“It’s very exciting times. It’s not an easy place to come to, we want to thank the fans. Hopefully we can go one better this time in the Carabao Cup [final] and far in this competition.”
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