Spirit of the Game

[undisputed 1,664]

Can't put the link up for this game but worth watching.....all this hullabaloo about football it's nice to see there's still some integrety in the game....bigger clubs take note.

 

A player-manager in Northern Ireland has won admirers for a remarkable act of sportsmanship that could cost his side their place in the Premiership.

Dungannon Swifts boss Darren Murphy deliberately missed a controversial penalty in a crucial match against Ballymena United that they went on to lose 4-2.

When the game was still goalless, Ballymena defender Chris Rodgers went down injured inside the penalty area, but play continued.

The referee eventually spotted the Rodgers lying motionless and shouted 'stop the play' while the ball was in the air.

Because had not blown his whistle, the players were obliged to put the ball out for a throw, but Ballymena's Gavin Taggart caught the ball instead, and the ref had no option but to award a penalty.

As tempers threatened to boil over, Murphy simply rolled the penalty slowly to the goalkeeper.

It was reminiscent of the famous amateur side Corinthian Casuals, who refused to score penalties because they deemed them incompatible with the spirit of the game.

Murphy's gesture has been widely praised, but the result leaves Dungannon deep in relegation trouble, 11th in the 12-team Northern Irish Premiership.

"I have no regrets over doing what I did," he said.

"I spoke to Rodney McAree on the sidelines after we were awarded the penalty and we agreed we should knock the ball back to the keeper.

"Ballymena's player was knocked out and was in trouble, so the game should have been stopped.

"It wouldn't have been right for us to score from the penalty.

"If the same situation arose on the final day of the season I would do exactly the same thing.

"Even if it meant Dungannon being relegated we would do the right thing again."