Exclusive: Notts County denied ‘nailed on penalty’ amid diving controversy vs Crewe
Notts County should have been awarded a penalty during their goalless draw with Crewe Alexandra, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that Charlie Whitaker was unfortunate to be booked for diving as a result of the incident.
Notts County and Crewe played out a goalless draw at Meadow Lane on Saturday (22 March), that did little to help either side’s hopes of winning promotion to League One this season.
The hosts though, will feel they were hard done by not to at least get the chance to take the lead from the spot.
Notts County denied potential match-winning penalty
With 38 minutes on the clock, an excellent through ball from David McGoldrick played Whitaker into the Crewe penalty area.
A heavy touch then took the attacker, who signed permanently for Notts County from Everton back in the January transfer window, wide away from the goal.
However, the 21-year-old then went down under a sliding challenge from Crewe goalkeeper Filip Marschall who is on loan from Aston Villa.
| League Two position | Played | Points |
| 2. Bradford | 38 | 69 |
| 3. AFC Wimbledon | 38 | 64 |
| 4. Port Vale | 37 | 64 |
| 5. Doncaster | 37 | 63 |
| 6. Notts County | 38 | 62 |
| 7. Grimsby | 38 | 59 |
| 8. Colchester | 38 | 58 |
| 9. Crewe | 38 | 58 |
Referee Martin Woods then elected to book Whitaker for simulation, although replays subsequently showed Marchall did make contact with the attacker, but did not touch the ball.
Now, Hackett has stated that Notts County should have been awarded a penalty for that challenge, and has sympathy with Whitaker over his yellow card.
Keith Hackett issues Charlie Whitaker dive verdict
Speaking to Football Insider about that incident with regards to both the penalty appeal and booking for diving, the former referee said:
“It’s a nailed on penalty kick. The referee’s 100% incorrect. He’s failed to give a penalty kick when he should have given one and he’s issued a yellow card which will now go on the record of that particular player.
“Acts of simulation need to be sanctioned with a yellow card. This is like penalty kick awarded by referee, goes to screen, looks at it and says it’s not a penalty kick. We don’t then see the referees yellow card a player for what is a dive. Here we’ve got a referee amazingly has seen it different and thinks that’s manufactured.
“In fairness to the referee and I will say one thing here, viewing angles are so important, with what he’s seen, and I think the angles that we’ve seen are better than those available to the referee. But that’s a penalty kick, he got it wrong.”
Notts County are next in action on Saturday (29 March) with a trip to Rodney Parade to face Newport County, while Crewe are due to host promotion rivals Port Vale on the same day.