Referee Scott Oldham and his assistants may have made a big mistake in the recent Sunderland game after he handed out a controversial penalty.
What’s the latest on the Sunderland penalty?
In the Championship this weekend, the Black Cats had to settle for just a point as they were held to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light by Luton Town.
Alfie Doughty’s second-half effort for the away team actually looked as though it would be enough to beat the home team. However, Amad Diallo came off the bench to make a vital contribution.
Indeed, he won and then scored the 86th-minute penalty to settle the game but it’s safe to say it was a questionable decision to point to the spot from referee Oldham.
As this footage shared on Twitter shows, Luton defender Amari’i Bell puts out an arm to help fend off Diallo but very little contract is made before the Sunderland winger hurls himself to the ground.
What has the reaction been to the Sunderland penalty?
In the moment, the referee seemed unsure but after consulting his linesman, the decision was eventually made to point to the spot. Had VAR been in use, the call surely would have been overturned.
Clearly, not everyone agreed with the incident as Luton Town’s Bell took to Twitter after the game to make clear his feelings, as he shared the above footage, while adding: “Wow”.
It seems as though rival manager Rob Edwards wasn’t happy with the call either. Indeed, when talking to the press after the match, he said: “I’m not sitting here saying that they didn’t deserve anything from the game.
“But the equaliser has come from a wrong decision. I’ve been in to speak to the officials and they’ve explained their reasons, and they don’t have the benefits of replays or VAR to make their decisions.
“The linesman felt there was a pull, there is contact between both of their arms but I don’t think there was a pull and I don’t think it would send the player the other way. It’s a really tough one for us to take, and I’ll say it again, I know it is difficult and these events happen fast – but these games are all so important for every team.”
