Jarred Gillett Steals Points For City

One of the most abysmal displays of A-League officiating from full time referee Jarred Gillett has seen Melbourne City walk away with a completely undeserved three points in their match against the Wanderers tonight.

While the match ended 3-2, Gillett decided the game with two decisions that both favoured City. The first, a call of 'deliberate' handball that was quite obviously ball to hand, and the second an inexplicable decision to call play on from a Wanderers free kick, watch the Wanderers score from it, then call it back.

The first goal for City came from the incorrect handball call, where once again an A-League referee decides a ball deflected off feet into a player who hasn't moved, from a meter away, is somehow 'deliberately' playing at it, with Harry Novillo scoring from the ensuing free kick. Bruno Fornarolli put City two in front after 25 minutes who curled a strike from the the edge of the 18 yard box past Andrew Redmayne.

Western Sydney gave themselves a lifeline on the half hour mark, with Mitch Nichols blasting through Thomas Sorensen. The second half was all Wanderers, who finally equalised via an own goal to Aaron Hughes after neat work from Romeo Castelen.

The Wanderers were robbed of the lead by Gillett, and they never recovered as City pulled back, parked the bus and began to rotate non-stop tactical fouls to halt the Wanderers attack. It came as no surprise that City managed to take advantage of the awful officiating, as Novillo scored a brace just minutes later against a deflated away side.

For a second week in a row the referee has decided the game against the Wanderers, just another example of the ongoing systemic failures by the FFA to ensure their officials know the rules, and apply them equally.