NPL Division One East
Dave Frecklington can’t wait to see the video of Piteu Crouz’s ‘phantom goal’ to find out if the ball did go in during Frickley Athletic’s goal-less draw at Yorkshire Amateur.
In a bizarre 60 seconds, Crouz and several of team-mates celebrated wildly on the stroke of half-time after the attacker thought he had found the bottom corner against the club he recently left.
However, while they were celebrating in the corner, the Ammers had launched an attack and were heading towards their visitors’ goal.
Many of those in attendance believe the ball crossed the line and bounced out again after hitting a frame inside the goal.
“My lads say it went in,” Frecklington told Non League Yorkshire.
“The shot hit the triangle inside the goal apparently and they went off celebrating.
“The referee hasn’t given it, he said ‘play on’.
“He says it didn’t go in, simple as that.
“We’ll have to see it back to find out (if it was a goal) and hopefully the footage will be there.
“A lot of people said it was in.
“Whether it was I don’t know because I was at the other end of the pitch.
“I thought I saw the net ripple and I turned around thinking it was a goal and I couldn’t believe we were 1-0 up after that first half performance.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before and it was massively bizarre.”
The incident brought back memories of Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace’s ‘ghost goal’ at Bristol City in 2009 involving Freddie Sears.
The Yorkshire Amateur joint manager Craig Ogilvie wouldn’t be surprised if Crouz’s shot did strike gold.
“I went on the celebration and I don’t think Piteu would have gone off and celebrated like that if it hadn’t gone in,” Ogilvie told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is one of those freak things.
“I think the reaction tells you that it went in.
“From where we were it is tough to see.”