FORMER Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher would have given Coventry City a penalty in their Saturday match against Birmingham City.
Birmingham’s Tomoki Iwata dragged Ephron Mason-Clark to the ground in the last minute of regulation time.
However, referee James Linington turned down Coventry’s pleas, much to the chagrin of the visitors, who lost the game by one goal.
During Gallagher’s usual ‘Ref Watch’ section on Sky Sports, both he and former Sky Blues striker turned pundit Jay Bothroyd believed the challenge deserved a penalty.
Gallagher responded, “I believe it is a penalty as well. Iwata is on the wrong side of him and grabs him; he can’t win the ball, and grabbing anybody is a foul for me.”
Bothroyd continued, “When I saw this with my naked eye, I said ‘penalty’.” I know Frank Lampard and the Coventry players were furious about this.
“I believe it’s a penalty because when he plays that diagonal ball, Iwata is behind Mason Clark and comes it down on his chest.
“His next move would be a shot. Iwata isn’t looking at the ball, so I’m treating this like a corner – he’s just preventing Mason Clark from taking a shot.”
And Sky Blues head coach Frank Lampard believes a series of penalty rulings have gone against his team in recent weeks.
Lampard stated: “It’s a clear penalty.” This is part of a series of penalties that we should have received recently.
“We have had one penalty this season. I’m not sure why we’re not getting them.
“We receive apologies after the fact but not in real time.
“We will most likely draw the game with a penalty if we score.
“I’m not pointing fingers at anyone but when it becomes that regular it’s something we have to look at.”
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