Serie B Fixture Witnesses 'Fair Play' Goal: Watch and Comment!

Ascoli hosted Reggina in Weekend 17 of Serie B on December 4th, 2009. The match witnessed some controversial moments as injured Reggina player Carlos Valdez attempted to kick the ball out of play so he can be replaced. Seemingly unaware of Valdez’s intention, Ascoli’s Vincenzo Sommese kept the ball in play and went forward to set up Mirko Antenucci for the match’s first goal. The match turned into a ring fight and Reggina’s Andrea Costa received his marching orders for striking the ‘culprit’ Sommese.

The match would resume once order was restored and surprisingly the home side’s players would allow Reggina player Biagio Pagano to find the back of the net without meeting any resistance. This infuriated the home fans and the Ascoli players were kept in their locker to avoid the furious tifosi. The match ended 3-1 in favour of the visitors further pushing Ascoli towards relegation.

To make matters worse, there will be an investigation into whether the ‘Fair Play’ goal was in violation of any regulations. Should the referee have stopped play and disallowed the Ascoli goal? What about Reggina’s uncontested goal?