England women ordered to replay the final seconds of qualifying match
England’s Under-19 women’s team will replay the final seconds of their European Championship qualifier against Norway on Thursday night after UEFA admitted the referee made a mistake in the original encounter.
With Norway winning 2-1, England were handed a lifeline in the sixth minute of stoppage time during the match in Belfast on Saturday when they won a penalty.
Leah Williamson scored the spot-kick, but German referee Marija Kurtes disallowed the goal because one England player entered the box before she struck the ball.
Norway played out the final minute of stoppage time and won the match 2-1.
Rules state the referee should have ordered the penalty to be re-taken, and UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body said it had no choice but to order the final moments of the match be replayed from the point of the penalty kick.
“We originally wrote that Norway had qualified”, UEFA said on its website.
“But on 8 April the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) announced that Norway’s game against England on 4 April will be replayed from the minute a penalty kick was awarded to England, who were 2-1 down at the time.”
UEFA said the referee had been sent home from the qualifying event being held in Northern Ireland.
The game will now restart from the penalty spot at the Seaview Stadium in Belfast at 9:45pm on Thursday evening.
