VAR referenced as Sheffield Wednesday v Sunderland fallout continues | OneFootball

Keith Hackett feels Eliezer Mayenda’s controversial opener should not have stood

Sheffield Wednesday were left aggrieved after Sunderland’s opening goal in their 2-1 defeat at Hillsborough, with referee Will Finnie allowing Eliezer Mayenda’s controversial strike to stand despite a handball in the build-up.

Mayenda’s first goal of the game saw the ball drop from the air and strike his arm for control, before he bundled it into the net.

The referee did not penalise the infringement, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

Former Premier League referee and PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has since weighed in on the controversy, asserting that the goal should have been disallowed.

Keith Hackett: "I think he got away with it"

Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett was clear in his view that the referee made a mistake in allowing the goal to stand.

“I think he got away with it. I think the goal should have been disallowed," Hackett said.

"This is a difficult one for the referee because he’s actually looking down, straight at it. One of the problems here is that he’s kept a straight line towards the incident.

“I think the players helped it on, ultimately, at the end of the day, I don’t want VAR in the Championship, but I think had VAR been in operation, they would have reviewed this particular incident and almost certainly it would have been disallowed."

Hackett’s comments reflect the growing debate around officiating standards in the Championship, particularly in high-stakes matches such as this one, where Sunderland revived their automatic promotion hopes and Wednesday’s play-off ambitions suffered another blow.

Controversy overshadows Sunderland's victory over Sheffield Wednesday

The goal came at a crucial moment for Sunderland, who had suffered back-to-back defeats in the Championship and arrived at Hillsborough in desperate need of a win.

However, Wednesday had started the game strongly, with Callum Paterson grazing the crossbar and Josh Windass missing a golden opportunity before the visitors took the lead.

Adding insult to injury for the Owls, Max Lowe suffered an injury while trying to recover from his misjudgment in the lead-up to the goal and had to be replaced.

Wednesday manager Danny Rohl also voiced his frustration over the incident and the broader issue of officiating decisions going against his side, including the ball striking the arm of Leo Hjelde.

"I think I’ve made my clear statements over the last three weeks," Rohl said when asked where VAR should be introduced in England’s second tier.

"Before the 1-0, there is a handball, a handball in the box from the opponent, but the ref doesn’t see it. One-nil to us [if the handball is penalised], but it is a different dynamic, especially playing at 0-0.

"Everybody will see it, everybody could see it, but I can’t decide the situation. This is maybe why we need support for refs on the pitch."

The result leaves Sunderland in fourth place, eight points behind second-placed Sheffield United, while Wednesday’s play-off aspirations took another hit with a third consecutive defeat.

For Wednesday, the sense of injustice will linger, but for Sunderland, the win keeps their promotion push alive - controversy and all.