Hughes aggrieved with Spurs winner

Mark Hughes
12 April 2012

Referee Mike Dean refused to explain his decision to award one of the most controversial goals of the season after it handed Tottenham another comeback victory and Mark Hughes his first Barclays Premier League defeat as Fulham boss.

Referee Dean allowed Tom Huddlestone's 63rd-minute winner to stand at Craven Cottage after assistant Martin Yerby had initially flagged William Gallas offside. The call infuriated the Fulham fans and Hughes, who sought a meeting with Dean after the match only to be told the official had already left the ground.

"The goal should have been wiped out because Gallas is in an offside position as the ball is struck by Huddlestone," Hughes said of the winner, which did take a slight deflection off Chris Baird but was struck by Huddlestone when Gallas was already in an offside position.

"The only grey area which I thought is whether it hit one of our players on the way through.

"Maybe then the argument is he's played him on because he's the last player to touch the ball.

"I think Mike Dean went over to the assistant linesman to ask whether Gallas had touched the ball. The assistant obviously said, 'No he didn't'."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who admitted Gallas was probably "a foot offside", called for a change back to the old offside laws.

"If you had a shot at goal and somebody was stood in an offside position, you were given offside," he said.

"It's become very, very complicated. How many of us do know unless we're referees or linesman?"

He added: "I'd be a liar if I was an expert on it."

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