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England vs Cameroon result: Irate Phil Neville says victory ‘didn't feel like football’ after VAR turmoil

The England manager was infuriated by Cameroon's ‘standard of behaviour’

Tom Kershaw
Sunday 23 June 2019 18:49 BST
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Women’s World Cup in numbers

Phil Neville says Englandl‘s victory against Cameroon ”didn’t feel like football” after the Lionesses opponents became distraught by VAR decisions going against them and appeared to protest on the pitch.

The game descended into chaos when Ellen White’s goal, which was originally ruled out for offside, was subsequently overturned by VAR, before Nchout Ajara saw her own strike denied by the video review system.

Cameroon’s players became incensed with some tearstruck by the perceived injustice and they proceeded to form a huddle in the centre of the pitch before half-time in protest and appeared to consider refusing to play, ignoring the referees’ please to continue, while their manager haplessly attempted to calm them down.

And in the dying moments of the match, a vicious raking studs-up challenge on Steph Houghton went unpunished by the referee and left Phil Neville irate, despite England’s passage through to the World Cup quarter-finals and the promise of a showdown against Norway.

“It didn’t feel like football,” Neville said on the pitch afterwards. ”I know we get these briefs about coming on TV and saying it was good game, but that wasn’t a last-16 tie in terms of behaviour from footballers. This is going out worldwide.

“I didn’t enjoy it, the players didn’t enjoy it and my players kept their concentration, but those images are going out worldwide and young girls are seeing that behaviour and it’s not right.

“There has to be a standard of behaviour that you have to do, and my players did that.”

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