Lower Bevendean's Dave Cooper scored a freak goal, then watched as the referee ruled it out with the opposition poised to kick-off.

The 19-year-old midfielder thought he had scored his first goal of the season with a shot which went in off a stray ball from another pitch.

The incident happened in Bevendean's 3-1 win at Wish Road Park against AFC St Georges.

Cooper said: "I was crossing the ball with my left foot and I mis-kicked it so I turned around disgusted. But my dad shouted: 'it has gone in'. Apparently it deflected off a ball from the next door pitch that had come over.

"The ref gave the goal, noted it down and we went back into our half for the re-start but then he changed his mind because he said: 'the ball had struck a foreign body'.

"We were pretty gutted, a couple of our boys got booked arguing about it but the main thing is we won."

Cooper added: "It would have been nice to have had my name on the scoresheet. I guess it is the weirdest thing that has happened to me while playing football."

Qualified referee Eric Martin defended the decision not to allow the goal. He said: "The goal was rightly disallowed because any outside influence from a dog, a cat or whatever is illegal. The incident is very similar to a question in the referee's oral exam and all referees are clearly told not to allow such goals to stand."

Never mind Dave, have some beer on us.