Keith Hackett slams inconsistency after Ellis Simms’ Coventry winner v Sheffield Wed
Keith Hackett has questioned the varying decisions over two goals from Coventry City striker Ellis Simms during his side’s win over Sheffield Wednesday.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider it made little sense to disallow one of those goals for a challenge on goalkeeper James Beadle, only to allow the other to stand in similar circumstances.
Following a recent blip with back-to-back defeats in league cup, and Frank Lampard saw his Coventry side return to form this with two straight Championship wins over the last week.
The second of those however, came in somewhat controversial circumstances against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough on Saturday (15 February).
Ellis Simms controversy as Coventry beat Sheffield Wednesday
Simms had already headed the Sky Blues in front 15 minutes into the game, before he thought he had doubled their advantage prior to half-time.
After Beadle could only parry away a shot inside his area, the striker slid in to turn the ball over the line before reeling away in celebration.
But with the Coventry striker having caught the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper as he turned the ball over the line, referee Josh Smith elected to disallow the goal.
There had also been debate over a disallowed goal when Coventry and Sheffield Wednesday met in the FA Cup earlier this year, and that trend continued late into this match.
After the hosts then equalised thanks to a Joel Latibeaudiere own goal, Simms would snatch a stoppage time winner for Lampard‘s side, much to the frustration of the Owls.
This time Beadle spilled a high ball inside his area, before appearing to be knocked to the ground by Simms as both looked to win possession.
That left the Coventry striker with an empty net to tap into, and despite the Sheffield Wednesday protestations, Smith this time decided not to rule the goal out.
Now Hackett has questioned the consistency of the decision to allow one of the goals to stand but not the other, suggesting he would have ruled both out.
Keith Hackett reacts to inconsistency over goalkeeper challenges
Speaking to Football Insider about those two separate decisions, the former referee said:
“I think there’s a lack of consistency I think. They’re either both fouls or they’re not. For me I think that in both situations there was a justification to rule out both goals.
“I always took a view as a referee that I wouldn’t find an excuse to rule the goal out. I prefer goals because that’s what people want to see and therefore, I’m not suggesting it had to be an act of murder, but if I was going to rule a goal out, I had to absolutely be 100%.
“In both cases, I feel that if you as the referee are going to rule one out, you rule both out. It highlights inconsistency for me.”
Following that win, Coventry are now seventh in the Championship table, one point adrift of the play-offs, with Sheffield Wednesday two points and two places behind.