News
MIKE McCURRY'S IBROX FARCE
By Mal Content
Celtic fans will once again, and with justification, question the competence and indeed honesty of referee Mike McCurry after the woeful whistler denied Dundee United at least a draw and perhaps even a win at Ipox this afternoon.
Huns 3 Dundee United 1 – a result consequent to atrocious refereeing.
The Huns dominated the first period against a poor Dundee United side and were 2-0 ahead at half-time courtesy of Nacho Novo's 5th minute header and 17th minute shot.
Mark De Vries should have scored seconds before the interval, but Alexander saved the Dutchman's shot from the edge of the box.
However the second-half became a total farce thanks to the incompetence of referee Mike McCurry.
On the hour mark Noel Hunt, through on goal, was brought down by David Weir – a stonewall penalty kick.
But McCurry denied United's appeals. Noel Hunt looked on with incredulity while Dundee United manager Craig Levein was apoplectic with rage. And no wonder. The decision to deny United a penalty kick was a disgrace. And David Weir should have been red-carded for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
Worse was to follow, when United had the ball in the back of the net about the 70th minute.
A shot from 25 yards that deflected off David Weir, wrong-footed Neil Alexander and found the corner of the net. Astonishingly, Main Stand-side linesman Stuart MacAulay ruled the perfectly legitimate goal offside because a United player, who was not directly interfering with play, was a foot or so offside.
Craig Levein appeared to say to Mike McCurry to “blow the final whistle now and “we might as well go home now,”, because Dundee United were being denied by refereeing incompetence.
To add to McCurry's litany of errors, the rank-rotten referee then only yellow-carded Daniel Cousin – for a head-but on Lee Wilkie.
Mark De Vries powered in a header to make the score-line 2-1, the Dutchman on scoring turning to the referee and sarcastically asking if that goal was alright.
United pressed for the equaliser, but Huns substitute Jean Claude Darcheville scored TFOD's third goal on the counterattack in extra-time.
A farce. An absolute farce.
Thanks to the incompetence of Mike McCurry, the Huns are one point behind League leaders Celtic. The Huns have three League matches remaining, while Celtic have two.
However, the honesty of Scottish football is under the microscope once again. We are told repeatedly that referees make honest mistakes, but were McCurry's numerous mistakes today honest ones?
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