Wood or Ward? - Whose goal was it?

Last updated : 30 December 2016 By Holly Hunt

Just over half an hour on the clock and Rotherham United had been handed an early lead courtesy of the returning Aimen Belaid. Joe Mattock took aim from around 35 yards out – not an unfamiliar sight involving the left-back – but his shot found itself tangled amongst the feet of Danny Ward. Although perhaps unintentional, it looked, upon first glance, to be a neat lay-off from another of the Millers’ back-line. Ward’s first time effort found the bottom corner and from the angle, it looked like a good strike for the frontman’s ninth of the campaign.

However, both Ward and Wood wheeled away holding a fist up to indicate that they were responsible for doubling Rotherham’s lead. The latter hadn’t quite got out of the way when Ward prepared to have a shot. Ward’s (more affectionately known to the New York Stadium faithful as ‘Wardy’) one finger turned into two as he waved away Wood’s appeals to claim the goal as his own.

All of the official sources – Sky Sports and the BBC – have Danny Ward down as the goal-scorer, taking his tally to nine for the season. The Millers’ Twitter feed also posted the Ward goal graphic but expressed their scepticism later on. Although, Richard Wood is adamant that it be his third of the term. It didn’t look as if the number six had meant to deflect the shot beyond the reach of shot-stopper Jussi Jääskeläinen and it is uncertain whether the effort would have hit the target without his helping hand. As it is ‘Wardy’ – the Reds’ prized asset – it is likely that it would have rippled the net on its own.

They’ve been given the other way in the past but it was the number nine who pulled the trigger and although the players know best, the deflection didn’t seem to re-direct the course of the ball completely. Nor it come off of his boot; he didn’t even know it had happened at first. Ward specified the exact body part that Wood claimed it cannoned in off. His “arse,” he said. Do many players score with that part of the body? I’m not sure.

The sheer joy on Wood’s face at getting on the score-sheet (or so he believed) was pleasing to see, especially given his bad look in the face of goal of late (particularly when using his head). Nonetheless, there’s more credibility in the argument for Ward’s cause. Interim Paul Warne offered a more sentimental logical in deciding who gets the bragging rights – that Richard Wood’s son had been sure that his dad was going to net against Wigan, also. Luckily, Ward said in his post-match presser that the two share a car school so there will be no hard feelings, although the two still stick to their guns.