FA orders full replay of FA Cup tie after penalty law error

The Football Association has taken the unusual step of wiping out the result of an FA Cup tie and ordering it to be played again in full. Woodford Town and Mulbarton Wanderers will replay their second qualifying round match on Tuesday 29 September at 7.45pm after a refereeing error in the application of Law 14. Mulbarton had won the original encounter 2-1, but that result no longer stands.

• Ollie Sotoyinbo scored a penalty for Woodford Town in the 30th minute, but the referee disallowed the goal and awarded an indirect free-kick to Mulbarton.
• The FA ruled the goal should have stood or the penalty should have been retaken.
• Woodford went ahead through Sotoyinbo in the 42nd minute before Mulbarton hit back with goals from Owen Lane and Nathan Stone.
• Woodford's protest succeeded and the tie will be replayed from the start.
• Mulbarton Wanderers said they were deeply upset and disappointed by a ruling they fear affects the integrity of the competition.

What went wrong with the 30th-minute penalty

The controversy unfolded half an hour into the match. The referee pointed to the spot for Woodford Town and Ollie Sotoyinbo converted the kick. But the official ruled the goal out, deciding that several home players had encroached into the box. Instead of ordering the penalty to be retaken, he gave an indirect free-kick to Mulbarton Wanderers.

That interpretation was wrong. Under the rules, when attacking players encroach, the goal should either have been allowed or the penalty should have been taken again. A Football Association sub-committee reached that conclusion after reviewing a protest from Woodford, and determined that the match had not been played according to the competition's rules.

How the now-voided match unfolded

Despite the incident, play continued and Woodford Town took the lead in the 42nd minute through Sotoyinbo. The home side went into the break ahead, and for a while it looked as though the refereeing mistake would not prove decisive.

Mulbarton Wanderers turned the game around after half-time. Owen Lane equalised in the 67th minute, and Nathan Stone completed the comeback in the 97th with what appeared to be the winner. The 2-1 victory gave the Norfolk club their best-ever run in the FA Cup, an achievement that has now been erased by the governing body's decision.

Woodford Town's successful protest to the FA

Woodford Town refused to let the matter rest. Arguing that the referee's decision on the 30th-minute penalty breached Law 14, the club took a formal complaint to the Football Association. The case was examined by a sub-committee, which concluded that the entire match should be replayed.

The ruling means Mulbarton's victory is removed from the competition's record and both teams will have to play for a place in the next round from scratch. The replay will include extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

Mulbarton Wanderers furious over the decision

The visitors have made no secret of their frustration. Mulbarton Wanderers described the ruling as deeply upsetting and disappointing, and warned of the potential implications for the finality of results and the integrity of the FA Cup.

The club said it was deeply upset and disappointed by a decision it believes could have implications for the finality of results and the integrity of the competition.

What is at stake in Tuesday's replay

Tuesday's 7.45pm kick-off will decide which club advances from the second qualifying round of the FA Cup. For Woodford Town, it is a second chance after a tie that slipped away in stoppage time. For Mulbarton, it is the obligation to win again a match they had already celebrated and which would have extended their historic run.

The winner will keep alive the dream of moving closer to the main rounds of the oldest football competition in England. The FA Cup has long been a stage for shocks and memorable runs from modest clubs, and this tie will now be settled with one of these two sides earning another step forward.

FA Cup replay: frequently asked questions