Shadow chancellor Ed Balls was accused of diving as Labour earned a 3-0 victory against a Press Lobby XI ahead of this week's party conference in Manchester.
Balls bagged a brace while shadow education secretary and Everton supporter Andy Burnham scored another at the Manchester-held match.
Footage of the game showed the former shadow home secretar Balls collapsing to the floor after he was fouled by a defender, although contact was minimal.
Balls issued a strenuous denial over claims he had dived for a penalty:
"Eamonn, the press are saying I went down easy, who lost 3-0, bit of sour grapes. The referee said to me ‘stonewall penalty’ straight away, that was confirmed by the FA-approved linesman, who, as it happens, turns out to be a Labour councillor in Oxfordshire. We’re keeping that quiet. Definitely a penalty."
And the opposition's goalscoring hero basked in the glory of his double when quizzed about the match by Sky's Eamonn Holmes on Monday morning.
"What was the score? Labour 3, Press 0, and I scored two goals. Retire? I'm going on and on!" he proclaimed.
