Exclusive: Keith Hackett changes his mind over Wolves-Blackburn controversy
Blackburn Rovers could have been given a penalty during their FA Cup defeat to Wolves, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that there was no reason for winger Augustus Kargbo to go down in the area under the challenge of Emmanuel Agbadou.
Blackburn have been at the centre of several penalty decisions recently, with two controversially going their way in the win over Preston at the end of last month.
On Tuesday (4 February), Blackburn were also awarded a more clear cut spot kick in their defeat to QPR.
There was more calls for a penalty from Rovers in this clash with Wolves, when January signing Kargbo broke into the Wolves area from the left, before going to ground after being challenged by Agbadou.
Blackburn Rovers penalty claim analysed by ex-PGMOL chief
Although many inside Ewood Park on Sunday (9 February) expected John Eustace‘s to be awarded a spot kick, referee Lewis Smith instead booked the Sierra Leonne international for simulation.
Although he admits the decision was a “subjective” one, Hackett has suggested that he would have awarded a penalty to the hosts on this occasion.
When asked whether Blackburn had claims for a penalty over that challenge on Kargbo, the former referee told Football Insider:
“This is a subjective call. The first thing is the referee’s in a great position. That’s the first thing, he’s made up a lot of ground and he’s moved out to get a good viewing angle.
Keith Hackett shares full analysis of Augustus Kargbo incident after re-watching video
“So his movement is dynamic and he’s in an absolutely spot on position. Now, where initially I’m giving that a penalty kick on the basis that the defender has stuck his leg out.
“His right leg is right out and therefore I’m sort of thinking immediately that’s a penalty kick. So what the referee’s saw and what we see on the video, it is subjective there’s no question, and one of the things we have to say is: was there contact?
“It looks as though there was contact and that defender has stuck his leg out for a reason, so for me I think it’s a courageous decision from the referee but my expectation around that was ‘that’s a penalty kick’, and I would have expected that penalty kick to have been given.
“I don’t think there’s sufficient evidence, even when you go through replays closely, that signifies this player’s going to ground. You ask the question why should he go to ground?
“The ball’s there, he’s got the opportunity to have a shot on goal and it would then have been an interesting decision because you can say the defender made a genuine attempt to play the ball, it wouldn’t have fulfilled the dynamic of denial but again it would have been close.“
That incident happened 26 minutes into the game with the score at 0-0, with Wolves going on to score twice in as many minutes to secure a place in the fifth round of the competition shortly after.