The South Korean team management has complained to the Tournament Director that two of the four goals scored against them by Australia in the semi-finals of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup in Monchengladbach were not legal and should have been disallowed.

• Images: Hockey World Cup

Australia went on to win the match 4-2 to enter the final.

The Korean complaint concerned the penalty corner conversions by Bevan George and Travis Brooks. Television replays showed that the ball was stopped inside the circle in violation of the rules and as such should have been disallowed, the Koreans informed Tournament Director Ken Read (Australia).

Read told South Korean team manager Seon-Jong Kim that since his coach had signed the score sheet at the end of the match, no protest would be entertained.

A distraught Kim said it was beyond him that none of the Korean players noticed the infringement though many in the crowd sitting parallel thought the goals were not legal.

"I met Mr Read, but he said there was nothing that could be done since we had already signed the score sheet," Kim said.

However, Kim said he would be submitting a formal complaint to Read on the matter with the hope that such lapses do not recur in the future.

The two umpires for the match were Christian Blasch (Germany [Images]) and Henrik Ehlers (Denmark). The controversial goals were scored in the half supervised by Blasch.

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