What the?!

[JamesL]

Missed it, believe it or not I do have a full time job and can't always read every post.

I've observed and watched hundreds of games, not once I have I ever same a referee delay the whistle for an offence until after a goal has been scored. And if he was going to do it because he had concerns about the goal why on earth would he allow the free kick to be taken before having a chance to go and speak to the AR? I just don't buy the time argument, if you had gone to the almost unprecedented length of allowing the goal to be scored you would be on the whistle to stop the restart until you were happy.

I've had two occasions where this season I have had flags I suspected (correctly) to have been raised early before an offence committed and resulting with no offence being committed and goal.
The difference was that I recognised this, communicated we were continuing, and then immediately checked in with AR to make sure I wasn't having a brain fart.

I agree with you that this does not appear to be what has happened here for all the reasons but also disagree in that there are occasions where the whistle is delayed, not blown, when a flag is incorrectly raised.