Former referee Gallagher believes Kilmarnock should have been awarded a spot–kick, telling Sky Sports live on air: “It‘s a definite penalty. It‘s a foul by Giakoumakis, and [VAR] should have intervened.
“It‘s a clear penalty.” Former referee Dermot Gallagher has stated that Kilmarnock should have been awarded a penalty during their Viaplay Cup semi–final against Celtic on Saturday. The game was only 1–0 in Ange Postecoglou‘s team‘s favour when Giorgos Giakoumakis brought down Joe Wright in the box just before the end of the second half.
Willie Collum, the referee, decided to let play go on, and the VAR did not alert him to go back and review the incident, a decision Derek McInnes, the Rugby Park boss, heavily criticized after the match.
The Hoops eventually won the game 2-0, due to Giakoumakis‘ stoppage–time goal. Callum McGregor, the Celtic skipper, has since argued that there wasn‘t anything wrong with Giakoumakis‘ challenge.
There is a very clear narrative in the media that kicked off last week during the SPFL tie against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park. Because Celtic and Ange believed they should have gotten a penalty at Ibrox for Connor Goldson playing volleyball, there’s been a real desperation to point out any positive decision the club get in a bid to try and play down the statistical anomalies happening down Ibrox way. It’s clockwork.
It could have been a penalty, and it would have been soft, but Celtic did get the rub of the green. Funnily enough, three men pushing, pulling and dragging CCV down in the opposite penalty area hasn’t managed their way onto the media’s narrative.
Has anyone at SKY (Yoo hoo – wakey wakey) asked about the similar penalty claim against, the rangers v Aberdeen in the penalty box? Sky stinks in its own hypocrasy.