English team clears path to allow opponents to score late equalizer
DONCASTER, England -- Sportsmanship was the winner when players with English third-tier team Doncaster stood by and allowed their opponents to walk in a late equalizer from the restart after the home side scored by mistake on Saturday.
Following an injury to a player, Doncaster midfielder Harry Forrester tried to follow England's unwritten sporting code by returning the ball to Bury goalkeeper Christian Walton, who knocked the ball out of play.
Unfortunately, Forrester's pass sent the ball bouncing over Walton's head and into the Bury net in stoppage time.
Rovers manager Paul Dickov then instructed his players to clear a path for Bury to score, and they duly allowed Leon Clarke to amble half the length of the pitch unchallenged before tapping home to make it 1-1 just before the final whistle.
''I didn't really think twice about allowing them to equalize,'' Dickov said. ''It just wouldn't have been right for us to take three points in the circumstances ... you can't win a game like that.''
