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Referee apologises after awarding Liverpool goal in WSL Referee apologises for awarding goal while opponents were celebrating
(35 minutes later)
The referee of a women’s Super League match has apologised after awarding Liverpool an extraordinary opportunistic long-range goal, from a re-start kick-off, as opponents Birmingham were still celebrating a goal of their own. The referee of a women’s Super League match, Stuart Richardson, has apologised after he awarded Liverpool an extraordinary opportunistic long-range goal, from a re-start kick-off, as opponents Birmingham were still celebrating a goal of their own.
The goal stood in a 2-1 win for Liverpool that lifted them to second, within a point of leaders Chelsea, in the English Football Association (FA) Women’s Super League. Losers Birmingham are a further point adrift in third. The goal stood in a 2-1 win for Liverpool that lifted them to second, within a point of leaders Chelsea, in the English Football Association Women’s Super League. Losers Birmingham are a further point adrift in third and Richardson has apologised to their management after the goal.
The goal came after 87 minutes when, after Hannah Keryakoplis had scored for Birmingham, Liverpool’s Fara Williams produced a spectacular lob from the halfway line. The goal came after 87 minutes when, after Hannah Keryakoplis had scored an equaliser for Birmingham, Liverpool’s Fara Williams produced a spectacular lob from the halfway line.
The Birmingham players said they were not ready and did not hear the referee’s whistle, manager David Parker told reporters. The Birmingham players said they were not ready and did not hear the referee’s whistle, according to their manager David Parker.
“It was a moment of brilliance from Fara, fair play to her,” Parker was quoted saying by the league’s website. “It was a moment of brilliance from Fara, fair play to her,” Parker said. “She spotted Becky [Spencer] off her line and did it just as we were trying to get our shape back. But I can’t fault the girls. We changed it in the second half and we dominated in terms of creating the better chances.”
“She spotted Becky (Spencer) off her line and did it just as we were trying to get our shape back. The Liverpool manager Matt Beard was understandably delighted: “Fara does things like that in training. She’s one of the best footballers I’ve ever worked with in the women’s game. Sometimes you need that kind of brilliance.”
“But I can’t fault the girls. We changed it in the second half and we dominated in terms of creating the better chances.“
The Blues seemed to have rescued a point when Keryakoplis struck to equalise after Amanda Da Costa’s first-half opener.
Liverpool manager Matt Beard was understandably delighted.
“Fara does things like that in training. She’s one of the best footballers I’ve ever worked with in the women’s game. Sometimes you need that kind of brilliance.”