Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has defended Tim Robinson’s decision not to award Ipswich Town a penalty after Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu appeared to clash with Conor Chaplin during the teams’ 1-1 draw at Portman Road.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was adamant his side deserved a spot-kick after Fatawu’s challenge, which he saw as a clear foul on Chaplin.
But Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, insisted that Robinson was correct in letting the game continue without intervention from VAR.
“I don’t think he runs into him, they collide,” said Gallagher, refuting the notion that Fatawu’s movement warranted a penalty.
Explaining why VAR did not overrule Robinson’s decision, Gallagher elaborated:
“The VAR did check that because I listened to it. It was felt the referee’s on-field call was the correct call. He makes the call and there’s not enough to overturn.”
Gallagher stressed that referees had been encouraged to make definitive decisions on the pitch this season and that Robinson’s proximity to the incident enabled him to make an immediate judgment.
“We asked earlier in the season for the referees to make decisions and, if you look at the referee, he has the perfect position and he immediately waves it away,” he continued.
“When the VAR asks him what he sees, he will relay that back. They said it was not a clear and obvious error so the game went on. If I was the VAR, I don’t think I could get involved.”
Pundit Stephen Warnock, however, took a different view, siding with McKenna’s frustrations.
“Kieran McKenna was incensed and rightly so because I thought that was a really poor decision… I am even more baffled by that,” he remarked.
McKenna himself was unequivocal in his post-match comments.
“I think it’s a clear penalty. I don’t know how it’s not given at the time. The responsibility lies more with the referee than the VAR.
“He’s in position, Conor moves the ball onto his left foot, the winger comes steaming out to Conor and just steams into his stomach as he goes to take his shot. I don’t think it’s a debatable one.”