DEJECTED Crusaders boss Stephen Baxter believes their controversial Irish Cup penalty shoot-out exit “weighed heavily” on officials during Tuesday night’s Euro semi-final play-off with Cliftonville which resulted in a terrible injustice on the Shore Road men.
During the nerve-shredding shoot-out at Solitude, Michael Ruddy’s thumping penalty crashed against the underside of the crossbar and bounced over the goal-line – but neither referee Raymond Crangle or his linesman gave the goal, and Cliftonville advanced to Saturday’s Euro play-off final with Larne at Inver Park.
It’s the second time in a matter of weeks Crusaders can feel hard done by in penalty shoot-outs.
Crues keeper Johnny Tuffey was controversially sent off (two yellow card offences) for moving off his goal-line during the side’s shoot-out loss to Larne.
With all nine penalties expertly converted during Tuesday night’s shoot-out, Ruddy’s successful strike was ruled no goal.
Baxter said: “When the penalty was hit and I saw the angle of the ball coming down I knew it was coming down in a slant and I said: ‘I think that’s in.’
“And then when I saw Raymond [Crangle] waving no goal I was a little bit taken aback and that was from my angle and I’m 85 yards away from it.
“The linesman and referee apologised to me profusely over a horrendous error from them. The ball is over the line by two feet. The linesman on the goal-line has missed a howler and was in a bad way over it.”
Baxter added: “I can accept apologies and I can accept people’s integrity and they have shown me integrity and honesty and I can accept that."
The winners of Saturday's European Conference League play-off game will pocket £200,000 for qualifying.
“It doesn’t help us as a football club because you lose a game of football on the back of it," continued Baxter.
"To lose two penalty shoot-outs in the manner that we have is never good and hard to take.
“There’s no point in getting upset about this because I’ve been quite jovial but deep down inside I’m burning - but the game is gone.”
Baxter agreed that the two officials overseeing Tuesday night’s penalty shoot-out were perhaps “distracted” by trying to ensure the goalkeepers didn’t move before the penalties were struck in light of the Irish Cup semi-final controversy and therefore all eyes were on Tuffey and Aaron McCarey rather than the ball.
“I think a little bit of what happened in our other penalty shoot-out was weighing heavily on them,” said the Crusaders boss.
“I think the officials were over-zealous [in watching the keepers]… But I was extra-pleased with our performance, we did enough to win the match.”
The controversy may prompt debate around where officials are best placed during penalty shoot-outs and whether another official could take up another vantage point, especially if video technology cannot be used in such circumstances in local football.
“Angles are angles – the linesman should see it and that’s the bottom line,” Baxter said.
“I think there will be some reflection on that for next season because the games are far too big to be making these decisions. They’ll learn from it and I think there will be some measures put in place.”
Crusaders spurned numerous chances in the first half before the home side found some rhythm in their play in the second half and extra-time.
Rory Hale, Daire O’Connor, Ryan Curran, Paul O’Neill and Joe Gormley all put their penalties to the right side, with Tuffey diving the other way for each of them while Ben Kennedy, David Cushley, Jarlath O’Rourke and Daniel Larmour put theirs away for Crusaders before Ruddy’s was wrongly ruled no goal.
“It happened in a flash,” said Cliftonville manager Paddy McLaughlin.
“It’s one of those ones, if it goes for you, you’re delighted. If it goes against you, you’d be fuming and I’m sure the Crusaders boys are fuming.
“It’s hard for the referee when it happens so quickly. If I was on the receiving end of it, I’d be fuming but we got the decision and we’re delighted but for the officials it happened that quick.
“They’re under the spotlight now to make sure the keepers aren’t coming off their line, and that’s probably a distraction, that they’re more focused on the keeper than watching ball.”
