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Irish referee in the spotlight after NY Red Bulls snatch controversial winner in Hudson River derby

Alan Kelly appeared to overrule his linesman in a sequence of play, which led to the home side’s crucial second-half goal.

New York City FC / YouTube

IRISH REFEREE ALAN Kelly was thrust into the spotlight last night after he appeared to overrule his linesman’s corner call — a decision which inadvertently led to the Red Bulls’ winning goal during Sunday’s Hudson River derby.

With the game at 1-1, New York City defender Alexander Callens cleared the ball and a corner was flagged by assistant referee, Corey Rockwell.

As the visitors went to set up for the corner, Alex Muyl instead took a quick throw-in — giving the ball to Marc Rzatkowski who laid it off for Cristian Casseres.

The Venezuelan midfielder’s cross found Daniel Royer, who headed home for his second of the game and what turned out to be the winner in the home side’s 2-1 victory.

As the New York players protested that a corner should have been taken — per the linesman’s ruling — Kelly spoke to Rockwell and appeared to overrule the assistant’s call, allowing the goal to stand.

“I said ‘You made a mistake, and you know that’,” New York manager Dome Torrent said after the match.

He decided the game. I said to him ‘You decided the game and you know that. You decided the game. You are not brave, you decided the game’.

“What is the reason why? Maybe he made a mistake, and it’s not a corner. I accept that. But when you say corner, two, three seconds and tell my player it’s a corner, it’s a mistake.”

Torrent needed to be restrained by his players as he approached the referee to after the game.

Heber had given the visitors the lead before the Red Bulls hit back with Royer’s double — the first of which came from the penalty spot.

Corkman Kelly has been refereeing in the US since 2014 and last December won MLS Referee of the Year for the third time in four years.

Before moving to the States, the 43-year-old spent 15 years as a referee in the League of Ireland.

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