Soccer: Referees' chief Keith Hackett has issued an apology to Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock over the goal not awarded by official Rob Shoebridge during the Coca Cola Championship clash with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Palace striker Freddie Sears looked to have given his side the lead after 34 minutes when he drilled a low shot into the corner of the net.

But the ball bounced back into play after hitting the stanchion and Shoebridge inexplicably awarded a goal-kick with neither himself nor his two assistants spotting the ball had crossed the line.

Warnock claimed his side had been “cheated” and claimed Bristol boss Gary Johnson and his players “could have shown more sportsmanship because they knew it was a goal”.

Hackett spoke to Warnock this morning and also said sorry to the Palace players and their travelling fans after acknowledging the officials should have spotted it was a goal.

Hackett, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, said: “You would like to think the match officials, the three of them, would have spotted the ball had crossed the line.

“You would first of hope they have spotted that particular incident. Under law, the fourth official is not allowed to assist in the process had he seen it.

“It is disappointing. I have spoken to Neil Warnock this morning and apologised to him on behalf of the match officials and, of course, the PGMOB, and I make a public apology to the players and also the spectators of Palace.

“They travel away, they spend a lot of money and it is very disappointing that when the ball does strike the net, it is ruled out and not given.”

Despite 24 hours to cool down, Warnock was unrepetentant today about his

post-match comments and felt Bristol were morally obliged to have allowed his side to score a goal after Shoebridge’s blunder.

He said: “Nothing has changed. I feel really hurt and almost cheated out of a result. I felt sorry for the lads after all the work and preparation they put in.

“We’ve already got a transfer embargo upon us and we lost Stern John last week in the first game, a striker, so to score goals is hard enough as it is.

“The body language of the Bristol players and the fans should have told the referee it was a goal. If it had been at the other end of the pitch, there would have been a riot.”

Warnock added: “It is not just because it is my game and everyone says, ‘If it was the other way around, Neil Warnock would have done the same.‘

“When Watford and Reading were involved in a simnilar thing last year, I did say straight away that I felt Steve (Coppell) was wrong. I felt they should have let Watford score a goal.

“Refs make mistakes but morally I felt Bristol should have let us score a goal there.”

Warnock, whose side were beaten by an 89th-minute goal from Nicky Maynard, believes that referees need to be given help if they fail to spot such incidents.

He said: “Refs need help if they can’t see that is a goal. Refs need help if they can’t tell last year in the Watford-Reading game that the ball has gone out of play and is not a goal.

“If they can’t spot these injustices they have got to have help.”

The Football League have confirmed that the game will not be replayed, a scenario that was always going to be an unlikely outcome despite Warnock’s frustration.

And City manager Gary Johnson is not happy with Warnock using the ‘cheat’ word when venting his anger.

Johnson said: “Cheating is not a very nice word to use especially when we had nothing to do with it except for being the opposition on this occasion.

“We knew the ball had gone into the net but we got word that the ref said there was an infringement so there is nothing more we can do.

“It happened to us twice last year and it is very disappointing and you have a little moan and you get on with it. I can understand Neil being disappointed but you have to choose your words these days.

“But nobody has cheated, nobody means to make mistakes and we had a perfectly good goal on the day ruled out for offside.

“That happens. It will happen to us many times and to Palace many times and you are aggrieved and you have got to get on with it.”