By Nodley Wright, Staff ReporterCONTROVERSY AND confusion continued to dog the second leg final of the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Super League yesterday.
Just hours after the KSAFA council declared the match null and void and that it should be replayed today at Harbour View, Boys' Town said their participation in the game was uncertain.
"I am saying that we are getting counsel and at 3:30 tomorrow you will find out if Boys' Town will be playing in the final or not," coach Andrew Price told The Gleaner yesterday.
"We have to look at all sides," he said.
On Wednesday, chaos reigned at the end of 90 minutes in the second final between Boys' Town and Santos. Boys' Town took the lead in the 78th minute through Jermaine Bailey who should not have been on the field as he had been shown the yellow card twice.
Bailey's goal pushed the game into extra time as both team's were locked on aggregate at 1-1. Santos won the first leg of the final 1-0.
At the end of the 90 minutes it was brought to the attention of referee Lloyd Harrison and his team of officials that Bailey should have been ejected. Both teams failed to reach an agreement under which the match could continue and a decision was made to terminate it.
Following that decision, the competition's committee decided to meet in order to find a solution.
"The referee reported that he planned to eject the player from the game and continue it, but he did not get immediate co-operation from the team representatives who had concerns and differing positions. The KSAFA top executives, along with the competitions committee, decided to replay the match putting an end to the controversy," read a release from KSAFA which also said the match would be replayed today at 3:30 p.m. at Harbour View Mini-Stadium.
But that decision has not brought an end to the controversy. Boys' Town's Price used an incident from the 1986 World Cup to explain his club's position.
"Maradona scored a goal with his hand against England in the World Cup. Replays showed that it was with his hand and the goal stood. It was viewed over and over by FIFA but FIFA decided that the result should stand.
"It is a big difference going into a match on even terms rather than going into it 0-1 down. This is not saying that I could go in with that deficit and not win but I would at least like to give my team that opportunity which I think it deserved by winning the game yesterday," Price said.
Continued Price: "If Santos had won the game 2-0 would there be an argument? Had we won it 3-0 what would they then have told us? It is a very serious precedent that is taking place with the nullification of that game."
"I have no problem with the continuation of the play-off but I am saying that if that takes place then it has to be with the score at 1-1."
Santos' coach Carlton "Spanner" Dennis in the meantime is ready to rumble once more.
"The game will be replayed and we respect that decision," said Dennis. "We will be ready to play at 3:30 p.m. We are ready to go."
