ITV boss sorry over missed goal

Dan Gosling celebrates after netting the crucial goal for Everton

ITV boss Michael Grade has apologised after viewers missed a crucial FA Cup goal due to a technical hitch.

Everton's winning strike in extra time happened as ITV1's coverage went to an advert break, prompting presenter Steve Rider to make an apology.

Grade says he was "disappointed as anyone to miss the goal" and said the glitch was "inexcusable".

An automated system for broadcasting adverts was still in place during the extended Liverpool v Everton match.

It is used when schedules are running normally, and fails to take overruns into account.

'Stringent procedures'

Viewers in some regions were still able to see substitute Dan Gosling's goal just seconds before it happened, but others returned to the coverage during the players' celebrations.

"Technically it came at a particularly bad time for us," said Rider before saying sorry.

Grade said: "We have years of experience in dealing with the changes in ad break patterns when games go into extra time and sometimes penalties.

"This we have done faultlessly through the Champions League, World Cup and European Championships.

"We are awaiting the results of our technical inquiry so we can put in place stringent and immediate procedures to address this," he added.

Everton fan Robbie Hall said: "I was watching on Freeview and once the adverts got under way we had no idea what was going on.

"After about 10 seconds the game returned just as Gosling scored. I saw the goal live but it was a mess."

Paul Snowdon from Merseyside said: "ITV needs to start taking its football seriously. This should never have happened.