Patrick McPherson, the referee at the centre of the blown call that decided the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup final, has apologised for his mistake and has accepted full responsibility for allowing the goal that gave Rusea’s High school their first title since 2002 and ninth overall.

Anthony Walker’s deliberately handled ball in the final minute of the second period of extra time gave Rusea’s a 1-0 win.

This was the first of two incidents in a one-week span that decided two schoolboy’ football championships and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) yesterday accepted the recommendations of its Referees’ Committee (JFFRC) to suspend the officials who took part in both games.

In the second game on December 10, Jamaica College beat Cornwall College 1-0 in the all-island ISSA/Busta Under-14 decider at Dinthill Technical when Dominic James’s goal scored five minutes in the second half of extra time was ruled to be legal by referee Garfield Gardener.

As a result the four-man crew on both games have been suspended.

According to a letter from the JFF released to the media yesterday the crew that did the daCosta Cup final will be suspended until December 31, while the crew for the Under-14 game will be out until January 7.

McPherson, Donat McKenley, Melvin Reid and Robert Lindsay officiated in the daCosta Cup game, while Garfield Gardener, Jermaine Yeesing, Lenval Peart and Yakeeni Malcolm took part in the Under-14 game.

According to the JFF, both crews were “guilty of less than proficiency in applying the laws of the game” and “committed a serious technical error by not detecting an infringement (deliberate hand ball) which resulted in a goal that decided the outcome of the game”.

In a letter dated December 8 addressed to the chairman of the JFFRC, McPherson said that his failure to “adhere to the established principles of concentration for the duration of play and failing to adopt a good viewing angle as well as staying in close contact to play has resulted in me making a crucial mistake”.

The letter went on to say “This mistake has proven very costly as it has determined the winner of the championship”.

McPherson said the decision has left him feeling “distraught up to the point of feeling distressed, knowing that a decision I made decided the championship”.

In apologising to all concerned “especially Lennon High School, JFF, my colleagues and all other stake holders whom I have disappointed, I am man enough to accept that I have made a terrible mistake and man enough to accept whatever sanctions that may be levied against me”.

McPherson said the mistake has taught him “a very valuable lesson and will endeavour to ensure that this does not happen ever again”.