Sport

Chelsea's triumph clouded by handball controversy

BIG RON was adamant. "There's not a lot you can say, he said, getting ready to say a lot more

By MARTIN THORPE
Mon Aug 26 1996 - 01:00

BIG RON was adamant. "There's not a lot you can say, he said, getting ready to say a lot more. "I thought I saw Petrescu blatantly handball it, without a shadow of a doubt."

And when it was pointed out that the linesman appeared to put his flag up, then down again, Atkinson was straight in. "I know where the linesman should have put his flag up. And he would have got plenty of help." Atkinson may be struggling to get the best out of his £17 million Coventry side but he is still great value when it comes to gallows humour.

Though Chelsea's win had to share equal billing with the handling incident which aided their first goal on 29 minutes, it should not obscure the fact that, had the team possessed a predatory goalscorer, they would already have been 3-0 ahead.

But Hughes missed all three chances as Chelsea dominated the opening with fluent and imaginative authority, then squandered even more openings later on.

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There is no doubt, though, that the first goal was an injustice as Petrescu blocked Ogrizovic's throw with a deliberate handball that prevented Coventry launching a quick attack.

However, referee Paul Danson waved play on, much to the distress of the Coventry bench and their travelling fans. So when, about 15 seconds later, the ball landed on the head of Leboeuf for the opening goal, the Sky Blues went through the roof.

Atkinson immediately went to the linesman, his assistant Gordon Strachan ran on to the pitch, Ogrizovic sprinted 50 yards to remonstrate with the referee and was booked, McAllister applauded mockingly as his name followed and Daish was sent off for using foul and abusive language to the linesman.

To make matters worse for Coventry, Daish could face a disrepute charge for saying of the linesman afterwards: "I wished that I had said what he alleges I said. I wish I had given him a full volley, both barrels, something to really get sent off for."

Daish's more sensible contribution to the debate was to suggest that there should be another match official watching in the stand.

In the end it took a piece of class from Vialli to take the sour taste away. Picking up a lovely cross from Clarke, he unleashed a stunning volley to score his first goal for his new club.

There was no arguing about that.