A SCOTTISH FA panel has found Rangers’ controversial ‘ghost goal’ against Hibs at Easter Road on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season SHOULD have stood.
The majority of the governing body‘s Key Match Indicator panel felt that the on-field decision by Nick Walsh was “incorrect” and “VAR should have intervened”.
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And the referee was at the centre of more controversy when another one of his calls – a handball in Dundee’s match against Ross County, which ultimately relegated St Johnstone – has also been ruled WRONG.
Walsh infuriated Rangers on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season when he failed to give the goal for the visitors to go two up on Hibs before David Gray’s men levelled moments later.
Nico Raskin ran through and bundled home from close range under pressure from defender Rocky Bushiri but, despite pictures appearing to show the ball over the line, the goal was not given and VAR did not get involved.
Rangers questioned the effectiveness of VAR in a statement after the game.
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And it led to former Gers defender John Brown, who was commentating for the club’s official TV channel at the time, to say it was ‘corrupt’.
His comments are being investigated by the SFA’s compliance officer and a charge could be forthcoming, which the club have said they will defend and described as “excessive, surprising and inconsistent.”
A report by the KMI panel released on Friday said: “The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the on-field decision incorrect.
“The majority (4:1) believed that VAR should have intervened and recommended a factual award of the goal.
“One member of the panel highlighted that they didn’t think there was conclusive evidence and a VAR intervention should not take place.”
They also gave the difficulty of the decision a four – which is described as a ‘difficult decision for officials with a high degree of subjectivity or challenging considerations to identify. One that needs deliberation. A 50:50 decision.’
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Just a few days before, Walsh made another contentious decision.
His penalty award for handball by Dundee‘s Antonio Portales enabled Ross County to level from the spot in the 96th minute, which was enough to relegate St Johnstone.
BBC Sportcene’s football pundit Michael Stewart called it “a disgrace” and “unforgivable.”
On the controversial handball which sunk the Saints, the report found: “The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the on-field decision incorrect.
“The majority (4:1) believed that VAR should have intervened and recommended an OFR and for the referee to cancel the award of the penalty kick.
“One member of the panel highlighted that they thought it was a punishable handball and the penalty award was correct.”
They also gave it a difficulty level of a three which is ‘a more complex decision… but one that a select group of officials should nonetheless call correctly.’
