Lisandro Martinez had a goal ruled out in controversial circumstances during Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Burnley.
Manchester United’s first match under interim head coach Darren Fletcher got off to a terrible start when the hosts were handed an early lead by an own goal from Ayden Heaven.
Benjamin Sesko ended his goal drought with two goals after the break, but United couldn’t secure all three points after Jaidon Anthony’s late equaliser.
United appeared sharp offensively, with two attempts cleared off the line. Lisandro Martinez even put the ball in the net in the first half, but referee Stuart Attwell disallowed the goal.
Mark Clattenburg shares thoughts on disallowed Lisandro Martinez goal
Martinez believed he had scored his first goal of the season from a corner, adding to United’s strong tally from set pieces this season.
The Argentine defender was deemed to have fouled Kyle Walker in the build-up, leading Attwell to blow his whistle and award the foul.
United in Focus spoke to former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg about the incident, and he gave his take on what happened.
“Manchester United thought they had tied the match up against Burnley but the celebrations were cut short by the referee’s whistle. Lisandro Martinez grabbed a hold of Kyle Walker and pushed him to the floor before getting to the loose ball and scoring,” he said to the website.
“This was a soft decision as many things go on inside the penalty area which go unpunished, and you can argue that there were some other fouls in the same phase of play.
“However, once the referee gives the free kick, then VAR would not get involved as it is not a clear error from the referee.”
Darren Fletcher’s first game at Manchester United
There were quite a few positives Fletcher could take from his opening match, with United controlling possession and creating far more chances than Burnley.
But it was the finer moments that proved costly. Burnley cleared two off the line, and Martin Dubravka finished with six saves.
Shea Lacey nearly grabbed a winner shortly after coming on, but his left-footed strike clipped the crossbar.
Fletcher’s side did enough to deserve all three points, but nothing seemed to go their way at Turf Moor.
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