Gidi Amar was the unlikely hero as he rescued a last-gasp point for Leeds Maccabi in the top-of-the-table showdown with Heaton Park Rovers.
December 8, 2014 16:26ByDarren Witcoop, Darren Witcoop
MJSL JOAN COLLINS PREMIER DIVISION
LEEDS MACCABI 1 HEATON PARK ROVERS 1
Gidi Amar was the unlikely hero as he rescued a last-gasp point for Leeds Maccabi in the top-of-the-table showdown with Heaton Park Rovers.
But that didn’t tell the full story of stormy game that has since erupted into a war of words.
After captain Amar had cancelled out Jonathan Franks’ early opener at the death, HPR were seething when referee Elliot Shiers chalked off an injury-time strike from Harry Roach.
The man in the middle adjudged Roach to be offside but HPR were far from happy with the official’s decision.
HPR were later ordered by MSL chief to remove a post-match tweet blasting the referee.
But player-boss Daniel Seligman’s wrath was not kept just for the referee and he said: “He bottled the decision and that was mainly due to the pressure he was put on under on the touchline.
"Around 25 of the Leeds supporters were constantly on his back. They were also abusive to my players. I won’t have that.
"Leeds are a good side and we had to defend like warriors in the second-half. We deserved more.
"Even after their late goal, which even they would describe as a fluke, we showed our character by going up the other end to score a perfectly good goal. We were robbed and this is likely to cost us a chance of winning the title.
"In my opinion, the MJSL should be investigating what happened here that rather than a silly tweet."
Leaders Leeds lost their 100 per cent record but were the happier of the two title-chasing teams at the final whistle thanks to Amar’s stoppage-time strike.
Boss Daniel Kristall said: “You take the rough with the smooth when it comes to decisions.
"It’s hard to tell whether the referee made the right or wrong call. But that happens every week. We bombarded HPR in the second-half and a draw was the least we deserved. It keeps them away from us in the table and that’s the important thing.
"Any complaint from them is no more than sour grapes."