James McFadden says he “couldn’t believe” that Rangers were given a penalty against Hibs but were then denied a second opportunity because the rules were applied incorrectly.
The live reaction on BBC Sportscene to the controversial incident involving Scott Wright’s apparent encroachment during a penalty kick showcased the frustration and confusion surrounding the decision. Neil McCann and James McFadden, the pundits, claimed to have checked the laws of the game before the show and argued that a retake should have been ordered due to the encroachment by both Scott Wright and Hibernian players.
The sequence of events included David Dickinson awarding Rangers a controversial penalty after a VAR review for an accidental arm to the face of John Souttar. Scott Wright then scored from the rebound after David Marshall saved James Tavernier’s initial penalty kick. However, the goal was subsequently disallowed by VAR due to Wright’s encroachment.
McCann and McFadden pointed out that while Wright’s encroachment was clear, there was also encroachment by Hibernian players. They argued that since multiple players from both teams encroached into the penalty area, the correct decision should have been a retake of the penalty kick. They referenced a similar instance in last season’s Champions League match against Napoli, where a retake was ordered for a similar situation.
McFadden expressed disbelief not only at the penalty decision itself but also at the failure to order a retake due to the multiple encroachments. The comparison to the previous Champions League incident highlighted the inconsistency in decision-making and added to the frustration surrounding the controversial call.
Bizarre sequence can’t stop Rangers victory at Ibrox
The Gers winger appeared to be the only player with a foot down within the box, while the other players may have just been leaning in. That was the only distinction between Wright and the Hibs players.
There is almost always controversy surrounding the refereeing of SPFL games, and this one was no exception. However, in the end, neither the decision to give the penalty nor the decision to deny the goal proved to be crucial.
Wright suffered after missing a close-range opportunity to add a goal to his unexpectedly strong performance against Benfica in the previous game at Ibrox on March 14.
Though his penalty was saved, Tavernier was unfazed as he quickly scored the game’s first goal through open play, and additional goals from Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo secured the points.
This puts more pressure on Celtic ahead of their big Old Firm game at Ibrox the following week (7 April), which they will play in Livingston on Sunday.
Prior to the Hoops match, Philippe Clement required a convincing victory over a formidable Hibs team. Despite controversial VAR use by both teams, he achieved it.
GET MORE NEWS HERE