Lancashire

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Lisandro Martinez's goal for Manchester United at Burnley earlier this month should not have been ruled out by referee Stuart Attwell, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has said.

However, the KMI Panel supported the decision of VAR official Craig Pawson not to intervene and give the goal.

United trailed 1-0 in the 27th minute when Martinez thought he had equalised from a corner routine. The referee blew for a foul by the scorer on Kyle Walker which happened a few seconds before the goal.

The KMI Panel voted 3-2 that it was not a foul and it should have been a goal on-field. But it was a 4-1 vote in favour of no VAR intervention.

The panel felt that "the contact was exaggerated by Walker and the decision to disallow the goal for a foul was incorrect".

It added: "The decision not to intervene by VAR was split but supported on the basis it wasn't a clear and obvious error."

Walker's challenge on Patrick Dorgu, where the Manchester United defender appeared to be stood on, was not considered to be at the threshold for a KMI.

The game at Turf Moor finished 2-2.

Preston North End remain keen on signing Portsmouth forward Callum Lang after failing with a £2m bid in the summer transfer window. (Lancashire Post), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Wednesday's gossip column here.

Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Just as the gossip train among the Burnley faithful started to grumble with the lack of January transfer activity, up pops a rumour that Scott Parker is interested in the services of West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse. A positive move that would make an immediate improvement to the Burnley starting XI. I am excited by this rumour - he is exactly what we need.

Other than that, there appears to be nothing else to report in terms of transfers. And my goodness, are we a side in desperate need of something fresh being injected into it.

In the latest episode of Burnley's in-house documentary, we saw comments that we expected to be busy in the run-up to the last weekend. I understand that the January window is hard - one made all the harder this year with Afcon - but waiting until the end of the month and scooping up 'what's left' on the cheap isn't going to do it.

We need cover in midfield. We need goals. We need improvements. We need to at least try to stay in the league.

And the result at Anfield on Saturday was a real positive step in that direction. Not that a point is likely to be enough to make a significant dent - the Leeds and West Ham wins were a blow - but it demonstrated that courage and fight can make a difference.

Parker could do with taking note of what happens when you are brave. I have talked a lot about the difference it makes when you try to win a game, and too many times this season, this Burnley side has been passive and insipid right up to the point that the game is lost. Then they start this incredible fightback.

Courage isn't about stepping up when you've nothing to lose. It is about stepping up when you have everything to lose.

Go out and try to win the games - you never know what might happen.

Find more from Natalie Bromley at No Nay Never podcast, external