Brighton were “very lucky” to escape conceding a penalty in their 1-1 draw with Burnley.
Former referee Dermot Gallagher believes Pervis Estupiñán was fortunate to avoid punishment for fouling Wilson Odobert inside the box.
As Odobert sprinted towards goal, he was stopped in his tracks by the Seagulls full-back.
At first glance, it appeared like the Brighton player had won the ball first, but replays revealed that this was not the case.
After watching the event on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher thought Brighton were fortunate to get away with it.
“It’s an interesting one because when I first saw it, I didn’t think it was a penalty,” he said.
“But after seeing it again, I believe it may have been a penalty because he does not actually get the ball. I believed he had the ball at first, but he does not; he misses the ball with his tackle. He subsequently gains possession of the ball with his second leg, but only after knocking Odobert down.
“He got lucky, but it’s a tough decision. People would have claimed it should have gone the other way, regardless of the referee’s decision.”
Sue Smith, a fellow panel member, was sure that the Clarets were denied a straightforward spot kick.
“I think it’s a penalty,” she replied.
“He grabs the player first and then touches the ball. He takes the player out.
“As a defender, I understand you have to try to get across the player, but I believe he takes the player out so he can win the ball the second time. “I thought it was a clear penalty.”
