Hull demand 'handball' investigation
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Villa joy as relieved Gareth Barry praises referee Steve Bennett after late spot of drama at Hull
Flashpoint: Bennett is mobbed by Villa players but he then overturned the penalty.
Steve Bennett dramatically awarded Hull an injury-time penalty and then changed his mind as Aston Villa grabbed yet another late win in their bid to break up the big four.
The referee pointed to the spot after Luke Young diverted a corner on to his own bar as Ashley Young jumped on the line with his hands in the air. Seven furious Villa players surrounded Bennett while captain Gareth Barry went to talk to the linesman - and when the referee also went to speak to his official he signalled a goal-kick instead.
It meant Martin O'Neill's side hung on to go level on points with Manchester United and three ahead of Arsenal thanks to an 88th-minute Kemil Zayatte own goal.
Sky TV pictures proved Young had not touched the ball - and relieved skipper Barry praised the ref. Barry said: 'I don't think I've ever seen a referee change a decision before - it certainly doesn't happen very often - but he deserves a lot of credit.
Late drama: Hull thought they had won a stoppage time penalty but the ball hit the crossbar and not Ashley Young's arm as initially awarded by ref Steve Bennett.
Villa struggled to find a breakthrough before the late drama and boss O'Neill said: 'It's not often that I'm not best pleased with Ashley but I have told him I wouldn't want him to jump with his hands up like that again and he's said he won't. I hope that's a promise.
'You have to give us great credit for keeping going to the end yet again. 'I'm absolutely delighted that the right decision got made in the end. It's the seventh time we have won away in the League now and that's down to the quality of the people in the dressing room.
'I'm just pleased that we are ending the year with a win and that we are keeping the pressure on the sides around us.'
Hull boss Phil Brown admitted: 'The ref got it wrong when he gave the penalty. He took up a position as if he was giving it and then for some reason changed his mind.
'I don't know why he gave it from 12 yards away and then consulted somebody who was 40 yards away. 'But the bottom line is we gave a greatly improved performance and I was proud of that.'
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How can he just reverse his decision based on his assistant's comments?
Means that he wasnt sure of himself when he gave the penalty?
If so, why give it in the first place?
knn.
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You don't always see referee change decision...but credit to him as he has made a correct decision as Young did not touch the ball anyway...
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was quite clear he didnt touch it.
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it takes a big man to do such a thing.. but if he is a ref in S'pore during the M cup i bet 40% of the fans would have shouted "referee kelong" with another 30% asking if he had a house in Birmingham... however, a point to note is that of the 70% only 50% knows why they're shouting the rest just shout because its the "IN" thing to do during those days...
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Hull demand 'handball' investigation
Hull want an investigation into claims a third party was behind ref Steve Bennett's decision to overturn a late penalty against Aston Villa.
Bennett initially awarded Hull an injury-time spot-kick when he though Ashley Young had handled the ball on the line, but then changed his mind after talking to his assistant Andy Halliday, who correctly told him the ball had struck the bar.
But there are now claims a third party illegally used video replays and the officials' earpieces to advise them, and that has angered Tigers chairman Paul Duffen.
"All we are saying is that the events bring into question who exactly did influence the referee," Duffen said in the Daily Mail.
"I would like a report from the match officials and confirmation of who was talking in the earpiece. There is a concern that somebody (else) was using video evidence."
Premier League rules do not allow third party influence or the use of video replays.
"I have spoken to the Premier League's chief executive Richard Scudamore and he assured me he will ask some questions and come back to me," Duffen added.
"We are most concerned about the integrity of the competition and that some form of video evidence isn't being introduced by officials on a discretionary basis."
Duffen does not deny that the decision not to award the penalty was correct, but was concerned by the manner in which the officials reached their decision.
"Once Steve Bennett had awarded the penalty - and he is not known as a referee who is easily swayed - he didn't have any doubt about the decision," he said.
"We don't see any way the linesman could have had a view of it and he did not attract the referee's attention at all.
"But at the point Bennett went across to talk to (Halliday), the linesman was obviously listening to someone in his earpiece while Bennett was standing next to him.
"It did look to all who were there as if the linesman was relaying information he was getting in his earpiece from somewhere else in the ground."
A Premier League spokesman told the Mail that video screens have been removed from technical areas so that replays cannot be seen.
"The assistant communicated with Steve Bennett his view of the incident and as a result of that he has made the correct decision," the spokesman said. "As part of the 'Get on with the Game' programme, screens have been removed from the technical area so there is no access to video replays."