Liam Delap admitted he made a costly mistake before redeeming himself in Chelsea’s 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Hull City.
The 23-year-old striker thought he had ended his eight-match goal drought when he blocked a clearance from Hull goalkeeper Dillon Phillips midway through the first half.
The ball struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced on the line, but did not cross it.
Delap briefly celebrated and appealed to the officials instead of following up immediately. By the time he reacted, Phillips had recovered to block his effort.
“I swear on my life I almost ran off [the pitch],” Delap told BBC One. “I thought it went in and then I was waiting for the ref to blow his whistle. Obviously, I should have waited for the ref to blow his whistle. It’s silly from me but yeah, crazy.”
Shearer criticises striker
The incident drew sharp criticism from former England captain Alan Shearer during commentary.
“Goodness me. What is Delap doing?” Shearer said on BBC One. “It is as if he is thinking, ‘I have all the time in the world’. He ambles to it and he takes his time. What are you waiting for?
“Liam Delap has not had a good four minutes. He has given it away twice and missed a sitter. Delap has been poor and he has been given the opportunity tonight. Delap looks very lazy, his performances have to improve.”
Delap joined Chelsea in the summer from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal following their relegation to the Championship.
He has scored twice in 23 appearances, with his last goal coming in a 2-1 defeat at Fulham in early January.
Three assists in recovery
Despite the early error, Delap responded positively. He finished the match with three assists as Pedro Neto scored a hat-trick and Estevao Willian added a fourth to secure Chelsea’s progress to the fifth round.
While his goal drought continues, Delap’s contribution in attack offered a timely reminder of his potential and provided a measure of redemption after a moment he described as “silly.”