INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil hoped officials could “clear up” what constituted handball, as Cherries had a big penalty shout turned down during their 1-0 defeat against Saints. With the visitors leading through Che Adams’s ninth-minute opener, Junior Stanislas’s cross appeared to strike the hand of Mohammed Salisu inside the box during the second half at Vitality Stadium. Referee John Brooks waved away Cherries’ protests, as they sunk to a first defeat of O’Neil’s interim tenure. Cherries had seen penalties awarded against Lloyd Kelly and Jefferson Lerma of late for similar handballs in the area, during fixtures at Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.
Asked about the latest penalty incident which went against his side against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men,
Gary O’Neil said: “Struggling to give an answer on it, really. I think the ball hits Lloyd Kelly at Nottingham Forest, that’s a penalty from a similar distance. Ball hits Jefferson Lerma at Newcastle. It’s a penalty. Tonight, the ball hits their boy, Salisu, and it is not a penalty. So, yeah, a tricky one. I don’t know. Maybe, hopefully the officials can clear up what it is and what it isn’t, because I don’t see too much difference. I’m not here to moan about rub of the green and things like that. But, yeah, if you want to discuss the individual decisions, Ryan Fredericks, the pull on Ryan Fredericks (at Fulham) is a foul, and the ball hit the boy on the hand today.”
Defeat left Cherries with 10 points from seven games since O’Neil took charge.
