Graphic: how to take the lead without putting the ball in the net

Watford have raised significant concerns over the Football League's investigation into the decision of Stuart Attwell, the referee, to award a controversial goal to Reading during the 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Attwell gave the opening goal on the advice of Nigel Bannister, one of his assistants, when the ball bounced over the byline, four or five feet wide of a post, after a corner.

Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, had offered to replay the Coca-Cola Championship match, if the League had decreed, but League officials met yesterday to discuss the incident and decided that the result should stand. Watford have accepted the decision but have queried why the officials have not been reprimanded for their mistake by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, the referees' governing body.

“The club remain concerned that no assurances have been given to suggest that this issue has been dealt with and that it will not reoccur again in the future,” Watford said in a statement. “The club remains deeply disappointed at the standards of professional officiating it was exposed to in this fixture.

“The club will now continue to seek clarification surrounding a number of decisions made subsequent to the initial ‘own goal' ruling and will remain in contact with the relevant authorities on the matter.”

Watford have also requested that the yellow cards given to Jobi McAnuff and Will Hoskins for arguing over the decision be rescinded. It is understood that the officials' match assessor, having immediately reviewed the incident on video, was aware of the problem as the players protested to the referee.

In a separate action, Watford have urged their supporters to lobby the League to overturn the decision to award the “goal” to John Eustace, the Watford midfield player, who was the last player to touch the ball as it headed towards the byline. Watford want the record books to credit the goal to Attwell and Bannister.

Attwell, at 25 the youngest referee in the 16-year history of the Premier League, is expected to escape serious punishment, but Bannister is likely to be relegated from high-profile matches for a time. He will be “rested” this weekend. Attwell had been appointed by the League to take charge of the Carling Cup third-round tie between Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic tomorrow but withdrew because of “holiday” entitlement. He will return to refereeing this weekend.

Andy Williamson, the League's chief operating officer, said: “The laws of the game give no discretion in these matters - the referee's decision whether a goal is scored or not is final and binding. Given this explicit position, the League cannot intervene.”

Graeme Murty, the Reading captain, had backed Coppell's offer to replay the match had the League chosen that option. “I would have been behind that 100 per cent,” he said. However, Murty was not keen on the suggestion that Marcus Hahnemann, the Reading goalkeeper, should have allowed Watford to “score” an equaliser. “I'd like to see you tell a 16st American to give them a goal,” he said. “It would have taken our whole back four to hold him down.”

Reading have “previous” in the annals of “phantom goals”. On August 16, 1975, in the tenth minute of their fourth division match against Rochdale, Tommy Youlden, the Reading central defender, took a powerful 25-yard free kick. Despite the ball hitting the side-netting and nestling on the grass outside the net, Walter Harvey, the referee, deemed that it had rebounded from the netting underneath the bar and awarded a goal.

Mike Poole, the Rochdale goalkeeper, ran after Harvey as the official returned to the centre circle and, in his anger, kicked the ball over the main stand and was booked. Reading added a second goal, legitimately, from Steve Hetzke after half-time to win 2-0.