DAN Cann is no Diego Maradona and Bishops Cleeve’s Kayte Lane is no Azteca Stadium.
However, in netting Poole Town’s winner in deepest Gloucestershire on Saturday, Cann managed to upstage the legendary Argentinean’s exploits from 25 years ago.
With the score at 0-0, as it had been in Mexico City in 1986, Cann broke the deadlock in hugely controversial circumstances.
Eye-witness reports suggested he may have handled the ball twice before he scuffed a low shot through the legs of Villagers goalkeeper James Nortei.
Even watching Poole Town vice-chairman Chris Reeves, a partner at Jacobs & Reeves Solicitors, would have struggled to build a plausible defence.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, referee Daniel Jacecko was as inept as inexperienced Tunisian official Ali Bin had been in 1986 and allowed the goal to stand.
While Maradona’s ‘hand of god’ goal has gone down as the most hotly-disputed in World Cup history, Cann’s ‘hand of Dan’ effort is likely to take similar billing in the Southern League Division One South & West record books.
Dolphins assistant manager James Wood, with tongue firmly in cheek, wisely adopted an Arsene Wenger stance when asked for his opinion: “I didn’t get a good view of it!”
He added: “I would like to think the decisions throughout the game balanced out. I was in line with some of the offsides against us and they were very generous.
“We got pulled up on countless occasions when players were clean through so perhaps we got the rub of the green with the goal.
“It was a deserved victory and we dominated possession and chances. At this stage of the season, it is all about getting results. We would settle for 1-0 away wins any day of the week.”
Set against the stunning backdrop of Cleeve Hill and with Cheltenham Racecourse in view, Kayte Lane is easily one of the most picturesque venues in the division, even if their bobbly pitch is nothing to write home about.
“We can’t play on this so just smash it forward!” barked one Poole player at his team-mates during the opening exchanges.
Referee Jacecko set the tone for an ambivalent display from all three officials by whistling for every minor infringement in the early stages, while his assistant Alan Baldwin awarded a succession of baffling offsides throughout.
However, after Steve Devlin’s 13th-minute free-kick had been parried by Villagers goalkeeper Nortei, Swindon-based Jacecko was provided with the opportunity to make one of his most clear-cut decisions of the match.
Carl Preston, who had earlier been poleaxed by a late challenge, was again scythed down, with Sam Avery’s clumsy tackle leaving Jacecko with no option but to award a penalty and book the defender.
Dead-ball specialist Devlin, however, fluffed his lines by some considerable margin, the midfielder dragging the spot kick horribly wide as Dolphins spurned a golden chance to take the lead after 20 minutes.
“We all thought Devs would score,” said Poole goalkeeper Nick Hutchings. “But these things happen and he played really well again. He has been excel lent for us so nobody is going to criticise him for missing a penalty.
“I can empathise with him because keepers can sometimes pull off four or five good saves and then drop a cross or let one through their hands.
“Devs has scored a lot more penalties than he has missed and I’m confident he will score the next one.”
Poole created the only other chances of note during a largely-forgettable first half, although Scott Joyce was thwarted by Nortei, while Preston, clearly feeling the effects of his earlier blow to the ankle, fired wide 10 minutes before the break.
Poole started the second period with more purpose but were grateful to see Michael Tambling lob tamely into the arms of Hutchings before Preston drew a fine reaction save from Nortei.
Alex Baldacchino, on as a half-time substitute, was a catalyst to Poole’s vastly-improved second-half showing, the loan striker involved in the build-up to Cann’s disputed winner.
And as the Dolphins went in search of a second, Baldacchino was denied by another smart save from Nortei, although the visitors were also thankful to Will Spetch’s timely challenge on Carl Brown in the closing stages.
Wood said: “I was really proud of the players because they stuck to it in difficult conditions. Bishops Cleeve’s recent results have been good and they are a hard team to beat.
“They work hard, they are organised and difficult to break down. We knew we had to match them and we did. Everybody stuck to their task and we were delighted with the result.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel