I'm no hand-ball cheat; Says JOHN COLLINS.
John Collins admitted yesterday that it was a penalty when he handled on the goal line to stop Holland scoring.But midfield star Collins, given star rating in Scotland's battling 0-0 draw with Holland at Villa Park on Monday, insisted: "I didn't do it deliberately.
"It's my job at corners and setpieces to guard the back post, and that's exactly what I was doing.
"The ball bounced up and definitely hit my hand, but it appears the referee didn't see what happened, despite the Dutch claims for a penalty.
"It was purely involuntary. I didn't stick out my left arm on purpose.
"You just don't have time to think in the heat of the moment. The possibility that the referee might send me off for deliberate handball to prevent a goal being scored never entered my head."
Celtic ace Collins is due to pocket a personal fortune by quitting the Glasgow club to join mega-rich Monaco on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling.
Scots' keeper Andy Goram, who listened to Collins giving his explanation, joked: "I think John might need to attend confession after this business!"
And Scotland boss Craig Brown added with a smile: "It wouldn't have mattered if Swedish referee Leif Sundell had pointed to the spot, because Andy would have saved the penalty anyway.
"We all know we enjoyed a huge slice of luck in that incident, but nobody should be allowed to take away the credit my players deserve for the way they defended against the Dutch.
"Collins also suffered a thigh knock midway through the second half.
"He got a bit of a dead leg and felt the pain afterwards. He needs to rest and hopefully will recover before Saturday."
Rangers star Stuart McCall said: "I think we have given everyone something to talk about with our display. We can play better but the result has given us the right boost to take on England."
Added Brown: "We can only get better. I thought we were excellent against Holland, but there is more to come from this squad.
"I've sensed for some time their mood is absolutely right. There is a hunger about them."
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| Title Annotation: | Sport |
|---|---|
| Author: | Moore, David |
| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Jun 12, 1996 |
| Words: | 360 |
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