FOOTY fans have ripped into Neco Williams for the comical handball that saw him sent off against Crystal Palace.
The Nottingham Forest full-back, 24, was standing on the goal line defending a Palace corner just before half-time at the City Ground.
And when Jefferson Lerma’s bullet header sailed towards the top corner, Williams stretched out a hand to block it.
The Welsh international also thrust his head towards the ball, but he was never going to deceive the officials with VAR also watching on.
Palace players turned to referee Michael Salisbury in unison, and he was quick to show Williams – who did not complain – a straight red.
After watching the clip on X, one fan joked: “Great save.”
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Another wrote: “Brainfart Neco.”
A third posted: “Should be fined by the club. Doing that with still over half of the game left is the definition of sabotaging your own team.”
And a fourth chimed in with: “In a world with VAR this is absolutely criminal.”
Forest held the lead at the time of Williams’ dismissal thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White’s opener in the fifth minute.
And although Williams’ handball denied Palace a certain goal, the Tricky Trees were soon in a worse position then they would have been if he had let Lerma’s header hit the net.
Because Ismaila Sarr stepped up to convert the resulting penalty in first-half stoppage time, levelling the game at 1-1.
The Premier League firmed up Salisbury’s decision by posting from their Match Centre account on X: “The referee’s call of a red card for a deliberate handball denying a goal by Williams was checked and confirmed by VAR.”
Williams had played every minute for Forest in the Premier League this season prior to his sending off.
The former Liverpool star has played 138 total games for the club, scoring three times.
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