THE Match of the Day pundits felt the decision not to award Brighton a penalty for handball against Jeff Hendrick in Burnley’s 3-1 win over the Seagulls on Saturday was ‘ridiculous.’
Hendrick handled in the box when clearing the ball but referee Stuart Atwell waved away appears for a spot kick.
The Clarets went straight up the other end and won a penalty of their own when Ashley Barnes was brought down, with the striker converting to make it 3-0.
Lewis Dunk pulled a goal back for the home side but Burnley prevailed.
And Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy said: “It is a thin line sometimes in football between winning and losing and Brighton were a tad unlucky on this occasion I think it is fair to say.
“It is one of those that even live looks like a penalty, it is ridiculous.
“With VAR, which will be in next season, that would have been taken back and a penalty given to Brighton and that would have been 2-1 and Brighton in the ascendancy rather than 3-0.”
Ian Wright, alongside Murphy on Saturday’s show, added: “It is ridiculous, it isn’t unlucky. It is like basketball.”
The pundits also analysed a key moment of the first half when Tom Heaton brilliantly kept out Solly March’s effort shortly before Chris Wood profited from a Dunk slip to open the scoring.
Wright said: “Tom Heaton has to get a lot of credit for the save.
Solly March does really well to cut inside and it is a fantastic save, he made a couple of those. It was quite close (to him) but he has really hit that pretty hard.
“A minute later Dunk gets too close and slips and this is a very, very good finish. Sometimes people try and be too precise but just go through the keeper sometimes when he is coming out and trying to narrow the angle. It is a really good finish by Chris Wood.”
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