With a spirited 1-0 victory over Stoke City last night, Leeds United got back on track.
The only goal between the two teams came from Dan James’ strike in the 33rd minute. Leeds had to withstand intense pressure from the opposition in the second half to win.
At halftime, Leeds could have had a much more comfortable scoreline because they squandered numerous opportunities to extend their advantage following James’ opening goal or go ahead sooner.
James chased down a careless touch from Daniel Iversen, the Stoke goalkeeper, and the team denied Leeds a penalty very early on. Iversen then brought James down with a last-ditch challenge.
During the game, commentator Lee Hendrie of Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Special criticized referee Oliver Langford, saying he could not believe it was not given.
Hendrie challenges the referee’s call against Leeds.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that they should have been penalized,” he stated. Dan James was the only one left chasing the ball in this situation. They’re really lucky because it’s a big touch and he doesn’t receive any of the ball, but he just manages to nip Daniel Iversen in goal.
He simply gets rid of him. It’s a stonewaller, it’s a punishment. Oliver Langford is located there, literally.
Stoke City vs. Leeds United in the Sky Bet Championship
Without a doubt, it was a penalty, and even if he had won the ball, Iversen’s studs were very much up, making the tackle hazardous and capable of gravely injuring James.
This is the second time in as many games that a commentator has been perplexed by a crucial decision involving Leeds; on Saturday, Matthew Pearson challenged Crysencio Summerville, but he was not sent off.
Fortunately, Leeds managed to complete the task and secure a crucial three points, so this choice did not come back to haunt them.
Leave a Reply