Jackson Feels U’s Were Robbed

The line is a dominant football cliché, but Colchester United’s Johnnie Jackson said he felt his team were “robbed” of a first win of the season after Barnsley’s late penalty equaliser on the 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Referee Andy Hall gave the visitors the spot-kick from which they scored after Jackson was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area with barley five minutes remaining.

It had already been a bittersweet week for Jackson before he conceded the match decider. The midfielder was named in the Championship team of the week after the season’s opening round of games, but then went on to miss a crucial set-piece in the club’s Carling Cup defeat against Shrewsbury Town three days later.

Jackson also took the corner which lead to Colchester’s second goal against Barnsley, but of the deciding decision against him, said in yesterday’s EADT: “I’m just stunned that the ref could give a penalty.

“We feel that we have been robbed because we couldn’t see Barnsley scoring. They only way they could score was from a dodgy penalty, which is what happened.”

A downbeat Jackson added: “I thought he was blowing for offside; I was just telling myself I’d got in a good block. I was only standing two yards away, so how are you expected to get out of the way? It’s baffling.”