Lee Mason - wrong!

By Clarence Rode
January 25 2009

It was all set up for a good experience for Hartlepool and their fans - quality Premiership opposition, a big crowd, live on the telly, perfect conditions ... then the ref got involved. Lee Mason is alleged to be one of the country's top officials, but that dubious qualification doesn't help him dropping the sort of clanger that would embarrass a Sunday league ref.

Not to put too fine a point on it, Mr Mason and his so-called assistant made  a monumental cock-up of the penalty that gave West Ham a 2-0 lead in first-half added time.
Look at the picture, taken off the telly, and you can see Michael Nelson is a yard, possibly two, OUTSIDE his own penalty area as the ball and his hand make contact, but Mr Mason gave a pen and a second goal for the Hammers finished the game as a contest.
It meant they could coast in the second half, whereas a one-goal lead would have meant Pools had a chance of getting back into the game.
The situation invites a lot more questions than the one which asks how an experienced ref with an assistant on the line could make such a glaring mistake.
For instance, why did Nelson handle the ball in the first place, why didn't he and his team-mates protest, and if he was guilty of a professional handball offence, why wasn't he booked?
Yes, we know refs are under pressure and have to make split second decisions without the telly to help them, but this wasn't a borderline decision - it was a cock-up. Similar to the one earlier when he only booked Carlton Cole for going in on Arran Lee-Barrett's chest with his studs.
Whether the penalty made a difference to the result is open to doubt, but it was clearly wrong and it had too big an influence on the pattern of the game.
Pools didn't do badly at all, putting up a  good show against a class side who deserve great credit for approaching the game in a professional and well organised manner.
It was one of those days that come along once every few seasons for clubs like Pools, and it was a huge shame that it should be spoiled by a glaring error. Everybody makes mistakes, and Mr Mason is only human, but this sort of thing is being exposed too often by television's see-all cameras nowadays.
Time for technology to give the ref a hand, rather than just embarrassing them. At least, we hope he was embarrassed.
As for Pools, it's vitally important that they now concentrate all their energies on making life more comfortable in League One. The Cup adventure is over, it's earned the club a few bob and it will hopefully help the side find some consistency in the League.
They were clearly second best to the Hammers, putting aside the pen, but they are good enough to finish in a higher League One position than they one they are in now, and they need to start their climb in Tuesday night's home game againt Carlisle.