Keith Hackett reacts to Luton vs Portsmouth penalty call as referee hit in face
Sam Allison has been backed on a Luton Town penalty in their win over Portsmouth despite the referee being hit in the face by the ball immediately after the incident, by Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that there was not enough contact in a challenge on Jordan Clark to warrant a spot kick.
Following their relegation from the Premier League last season, this has been another difficult campaign for the Hatters, who find themselves now fighting to avoid the drop into League One.
The appointment of Matt Bloomfield as Luton manager had failed to change their fortunes, with the club failing to win any of his first eight games in charge.
That changed with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Kenilworth Road on Saturday (1 March), although things could have been easier for the Hatters, had their claims for a penalty been acknowledged late on.
Jordan Clark denied penalty as clearance floors referee
With less than five minutes of normal time remaining, Clark broke into the Portsmouth area from the left-hand side of the pitch.
The Luton winger then went down under a challenge from an opposition defender, leaving the home fans calling for a penalty.
Meanwhile, as the ball ran loose it was cleared by a Pompey defender, only to hit referee Allison full in the face, briefly knocking him to the ground.
| Championship position | Played | Points |
| 21. Hull City | 34 | 33 |
| 22. Luton Town | 35 | 31 |
| 23. Plymouth Argyle | 34 | 30 |
| 24. Derby County | 35 | 29 |
After getting back to his feet, the official elected not to point to the spot for that challenge on Clark, denying the hosts the chance to further cement their lead.
Even so, they were able to hold on to secure a vital win in their attempts to avoid a second successive relegation.
Luton were on the wrong end of a penalty call in the defeat to Watford the previous week, but on this occasion, Hackett believes Allison got things right despite the blow he took.
Keith Hackett gives verdict on Luton Town penalty claim
Speaking to Football Insider about Allison’s misfortunes with the ball and his decision not to award Luton a penalty, the former referee said:
“One of the things that in refereeing you try to avoid is getting hit with the ball! I think really one of the pleasing aspects of law changes is if the ball hits you then at that point the games stops and you give a drop ball.
“He probably didn’t know who’d hit the ball, that’s the problem sometimes, it catches you by surprise.
“I can remember years ago in a grassroots game in Sheffield… there was a cross heading out of play, it struck me, went horizontal with the penalty area line, straight to the centre-forward who tapped it in the back of the net!
“It was the greatest assist that you could wish to have in football and total embarassment. So in a way I feel for Sam Allison.
“There wasn’t enough for a penalty kick on that challenge, but it hurts when it happens… he was in a good position, he is a guy who’s had Premier League experience.
“Everybody thinks he’s heading that way he’s just to keep his form and not get hit with the ball!”
Luton are next in action when they travel to promotion hopefuls Burnley on Saturday (8 March), while Portsmouth welcome league leaders Leeds United to Fratton Park a day later.