Sheffield Wednesday 1 Middlesbrough 0: Thankful Kirkland calls for goalline assistance

Sheffield Wednesday fans would argue that they have seen matters levelled in the space of only a few days.

On Monday, Atdhe Nuhiu’s header against Charlton that struck a post and crept along the goalline was deemed not to be a goal.

Five days later, the decision went in their favour as Jacob Butterfield’s long-range shot struck both posts and spun a good yard across the line, yet it was missed by both referee Andy D’Urso and linesman Paul Hodskinson.

Dumb luck or further evidence that goalline technology is required in every Football League ground, not just in the Premier League?

For the two men involved the answer is simple – give support to the officials by introducing technology.

And the man shouting loudest for parity between the Premier League – who have had goalline technology since the start of the season – and the rest of English professional football was Chris Kirkland, the man beaten by that 12th-minute shot from Middlesbrough’s Butterfield.

“It was miles over the line, definitely,” said the former England goalkeeper.

“We need goalline technology, every club needs it. It costs a lot of money, but the FA have got to install it in every ground because sooner or later it’s going to cost somebody dear – a promotion or a relegation, and it shouldn’t be like that.

“We’ve got away with one. I’m sure we’re not the only ones who’ll get away with one before the end of the season, but until they put goalline technology in every ground these debates are going to keep happening.

“There was one the other week at West Brom. Was it over the line? Straight away the answer came onto the ref’s watch and it was sorted out.”

Hawk-Eye, the company that revolutionised tennis and cricket decisions, are behind the football technology being used in the top tier.

But the naked eye was good enough to assess whether Butterfield’s shot had crossed the line on Saturday.

And Kirkland knew it – not that, as a professional, he was going to own up as he scrambled across his line to retrieve the ball.

“You don’t mean to cheat, but I’m not going to just let it roll in and leave it and say it’s a goal. It’s an instinct thing,” he said.

“But it’s not our fault, it’s not the players’ fault, it’s not Middlesbrough’s fault and until the FA sort something out it’s going to keep on happening.

“The Boro players knew straight away, Danny Graham knew it, but what can we do?

“It’s not the ref, he can’t see from there. The linesman wasn’t up with play and we’ve got away with one. Does it even itself out? Probably not.”

Butterfield lacked the conviction afterwards to argue as vehemently as the man he beat, no doubt deflated by the late winner Wednesday scored from the penalty spot after Dean Whitehead had been sent off for handling Leon Best’s shot on the line.

“It looked like it was a goal to me,” said the former Barnsley midfielder of his first-half strike.

“People at half-time told me it looked like a goal. I’ve heard it looked like a goal on the replays. I haven’t seen it myself but it’s disappointing if it has gone in.

“Goals change games, don’t they, then the game turns into something else for them; they’ve got to throw players forward and we can sit on it.

“If it has gone in, and not been given, it’s just the way things are going for us at the moment.”

The way things are going for Aitor Karanka’s Boro is drastic.

Had Butterfield’s ‘goal’ been given it would have ended their drought at 626 minutes. As it was, another blank afternoon – their seventh – means it is 704 minutes since Emmanuel Ledesma scored against Charlton on January 18.

Wednesday were also in need of the victory, to restore a little faith after they had squandered the golden ticket of an FA Cup quarter-final with Sheffield United and a potential trip to Wembley.

This was their first home win in four, but the bigger picture makes for healthier reading.

Their eighth League win under Stuart Gray takes them up to 15th, 12 points clear of the bottom three. When he took the job in November following the dismissal of Dave Jones they were six points short of safety.

Every Owls player talks of Gray’s man-management as his great strength, but it was his substitutions that transformed a laboured affair against a Boro side so obviously shorn of confidence and conviction.

Jeremy Helan, for the injured Joe Mattock, and in particular Jermaine Johnson, gave the Owls added impetus in the second half, and it was the third player introduced from the bench – Nuhiu – who grabbed the winner on 87 minutes.

Whitehead was sent off for handling Best’s shot from Sam Hutchinson’s free-kick, although D’Urso missed it initially before his assistant, Hodskinson again, flagged for the offence.

Hutchinson was Wednesday’s most reliable player, forcing a fine save from Tomas Meijas with a rasping drive.

The Owls’ central defenders Oguchi Onyewu and Glenn Loovens kept Danny Graham quiet except for one break away in the second half, but Kirkland was equal to the striker’s shot and Kei Kamara’s follow-up.

“They were more or less straight at me and I was pleased to get the win,” said Kirkland.

“Stu has done a great job and we’ll take staying up because this is a gruelling league.”

Credit to Boro head coach Karanka, who did not hide behind the Butterfield ‘goal’.

“We lost the game because we didn’t play well,” he said. “We cannot blame the referee.”

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