Neil Warnock was furious over the goal that never was during Crystal Palace's 1-0 defeat at Bristol City.
Palace boss furious after referee rules out Sears effort
Neil Warnock was beside himself with rage over the goal that never was during Crystal Palace's 1-0 defeat at Bristol City.
Palace striker Freddie Sears raced away to celebrate an apparently perfectly good strike on 34 minutes.
But his shot ricocheted back out of the net off the base of the goal and, after consulting a linesman, referee Rob Shoebridge awarded a goal kick.
Warnock had to be restrained from remonstrating with the fourth official but at half-time he somehow found the composure to direct his players away from the referee and into the dressing room.
Warnock said: "We can put a man on the moon, time serves of 100 miles per hour at Wimbledon, yet we cannot place a couple of sensors in a net to show when a goal has been scored.
"I feel sorry for the referee because he didn't get any help. But how can I mark him when he spoils an otherwise good display with a mistake of that importance?
"I thought Gary Johnson and his players could have shown more sportsmanship because they knew it was a goal, like everyone else. But I'm 60 years old and maybe I expect too much.
Cheated
"I have a transfer embargo on me and a group of young players working their socks off for the club. They didn't deserve that today.
"We were cheated. And I'm not saying that against the referee because he didn't mean to get it wrong."
Warnock's mood was not improved when Nicky Maynard struck City's 89th-minute winner with a cool right-footed finish from just outside the box after defender Jose Fonte had given the ball away.
Home manager
Johnson was left to count his blessings. "In Neil's position I would feel the same as he does," he said.
"Sometimes as the away manager a big decision goes against you, the crowd get on your back and it's very hard to keep things under control.
"It was a goal of course, but I don't see what I could have done about it at the time. I had my own team to think about because we weren't playing well in the first half.
"Neil didn't want to shake my hand and that's up to him. I can't say I was surprised after what had happened, but it's one of those things."
