Manchester United's Darren Fletcher believes Nani was right to score controversial goal
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher says that his team-mate Nani was right to take the opportunity to score in the club’s English Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, 30 October,
despite the goal causing a great deal of controversy.
The Portuguese winger scored the first goal in a 2-0 win when Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was setting up for what he believed to be a free-kick.
Referee Mark Clattenburg had turned down a penalty claim by Nani and gestured to Spurs to play on, but Gomes thought that a free-kick had been given because Nani had blatantly handled the ball after he fell
in the crease. As Gomes rolled the ball into position, Nani struck. After discussing the incident with his linesman, Clattenburg allowed the goal to stand.
Despite the controversy surrounding the goal, Scotland international Fletcher was adamant that Nani was correct to try his luck, adding that the 23-year-old would have come in from a tough time from his team-mates
and manager Sir Alex Ferguson otherwise.
'Nani would have received dressing down'
Fletcher told reporters that: "If he didn't put it in the back of the net, he would have got a (dressing down) from the manager and the rest of the players. Tottenham will be very aggrieved, maybe rightly
so. There was some misunderstanding from the goalkeeper but the ball was still in play."
Victory in the game was assured when defender Nemanja Vidic struck to claim the 1,000th EPL goal at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Ferguson insisted that the Red Devils had to push on from the positive result against Spurs, who finished in the top four last season, and ensure they keep pace with league leaders Chelsea.
He said that: "It's kicking-on time. No more dilly-dallying. Chelsea are five points in front and we cannot afford to give any more points away the way we did at the start of the season."
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