Ex-Premier League ref delivers verdict on Crystal Palace penalty shout vs Sunderland amid Oliver Glasner claim
Crystal Palace were denied a late penalty appeal during Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has rubbished claims from Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner that his side should have been awarded a late penalty against Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
The Black Cats played out a spirited 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park, battling hard to maintain their clean sheet for a first away point of the campaign. Parity was almost broken in the closing minutes, however, when debutant Christantus Uche crashed a shot goalwards, with Wilson Isidor stretching out a boot to try and make the block.
And speaking post-match, Glasner not only argued that there was contact between the Sunderland attacker and his player, but also that Palace should have been afforded an opportunity to win the contest from the spot.
He said: “With Uche at the end, we thought he could help us having a little bit more physicality in the attack and he was great. He had a big chance as well, I think we have to get a penalty in this situation. For me it was an easy goal, he [Isidor] came with the studs up and the leg stretched and touched him. Even if it's just slightly, but if you touch him with the stretched leg and the studs up and it's inside the box, it's a penalty. So for me the VAR had to intervene in this situation, but it didn't happen.”
What did Dermot Gallagher say about Crystal Palace penalty shout vs Sunderland?
For his part, however, Gallagher was unconvinced by Glasner’s argument. Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch on Monday morning, the ex-official said: “I just don't see a foul. The defender's got to go and try and block the ball, which he does. If there's any contact at all, I think it's made by the forward coming into it there, but not a foul for me.”
Pundit Jay Bothroyd agreed with his colleague, adding: “Yeah, that's not a foul for me. And I think that if there was real contact there, Uche’s leg would have gone flying back, and it didn't look like there was any contact to me. And the fact that Glasner said that's enough for a penalty... I think if that was the other way around, he would be saying, ‘What's going on there? How can you give a penalty?’”
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Elsewhere, former top flight referee Mark Clattenburg agreed with Gallagher’s assessment. Speaking to We Are Palace after the game, he said: “I would have been surprised if the penalty was awarded. Crystal Palace wanted a penalty, but I am not sure the contact was sufficient to award a penalty when two players were challenging for the ball in a split second.”
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