Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom ‘pleased’ Blades’ second goal stood vs Birmingham City

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom says he is ‘pleased’ that his side’s second goal stood in the win over Birmingham City on Friday night and believes it was the correct call from the officials.

There were strong shouts from everyone in Blue that an offside flag should have been raised as Jayden Bogle found the bottom corner to put the visitors 2-1 in front but nothing ever came.

Lee Bowyer was apoplectic in the dugout as he saw yet another refereeing decision go against his team and was shown a yellow card for his protests.

Bowyer’s argument was that Billy Sharp was clearly interfering with play whilst stood in an offside position and therefore the goal should have been chalked off but the official explanation given to him post-match was that ‘Sharp wasn’t close enough to a Blue shirt to be interfering.’

It was quite evident even in his post-match presser that the former midfielder was having none of it and after taking a look at the replays, he probably does have a point.

The Blades boss, however, believes the officials made the right call but added that he ‘can totally understand’ Bowyer’s grievances.

“There’s a couple of offsides,” Heckingbottom explained.

“[John] Egan is trotting back in, cleared it but doesn’t go near the ball.

“The same when Billy [Sharp] makes a run and [Neil] Etheridge clears it but we know they aren’t given anymore.

“I think if Bill makes contact with the ball or the ball drops to him that’s fine or in that phase of play he’s going to be given offside, we get that, we understand it.

“But the fact it’s been cleared back and we have to go through two lines again.

“I can totally understand it because that’s how I felt in the first-half but we know how it is now, we know the rules, we understand the offside law as best we can.

“It was like starting again with the bodies that Birmingham had behind the ball and I’m pleased it was given because it was such a fantastic goal.”

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