By George Overhill

15th Mar, 2023 | 1:40pm

Leeds United: Jack Harrison rescued from embarrassment as Opta are overruled to benefit Brighton winger Solly March

Jack Harrison’s own-goal in the 2-2 Leeds United draw with Brighton has been awarded to Solly March by the Premier League, Andy Naylor reports.

The Whites winger produced a strong assist for Patrick Bamford’s goal and fired in a stunning late leveller himself at Elland Road on Saturday (11 March), but also shocked Sky Sports’ pair Kris Boyd and Jeff Stelling when he appeared to skew a clearance into his own net by going at it with the wrong foot.

However after a request from the Seagulls, Harrison has now been spared the embarrassment of the own-goal against his name as it has instead been reclassified as a goal for his opposite number, who was putting him under pressure and had stretched a leg through from behind on the line.

The Athletic’s Brighton reporter Naylor reported via Twitter on Wednesday morning (15 March): “Solly March has been awarded Brighton’s second goal at Leeds after the club asked the PL’s Goals Accreditation Panel to look at the own goal by Jack Harrison.

“March now has six goals this season, including one in last month’s 1-1 draw at tonight’s visitors Crystal Palace.”

The Premier League website states that their official data partner Opta are responsible for identifying scorers in the first instance, but a three-man panel can review in cases of doubt at the Premier League Match Centre.

Repreive

It looked like a bizarre own-goal based on the live action and the replays but perhaps the initial view was harsh on Harrison if March got the final touch.

Either way he still would have likely managed to save a goal if he’d just gone to clear the ball with this right foot, even if he did use it to make amends with his excellent late strike.

The Accreditation Panel have been pretty charitable at times with Harry Kane benefiting to the tune of a couple of extra to his haul, so perhaps March just got the benefit of the doubt here.

The main embarrassment that Harrison would have felt passed at the time but the records will no longer show him as having scored at both ends in the eventful draw at the weekend.

He will still need to improve his overall performance level but if he can come up with a few more key contributions like for the two goals he will begin to earn his place in the line-up again.

The 26-year-old is not alone in needing to up his game however, and with the club in the relegation zone it better be sooner rather than later.

In other Leeds United news, a Whites ace has thrown a spanner in the works of the club’s contract plans as no progress has been made.

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