Keith Hackett reacts to footage of West Brom incident that had Preston furious
West Brom finally returned to winning ways at The Hawthorns against Preston on Saturday.
West Brom secured a 2-1 victory on 18 October, holding out for a nervy three points under Ryan Mason after weeks of struggle.
Mikey Johnston and Isaac Price both scored wonder goals to seal the win, with Michael Smith making it a nervy ending for those in the home end.
The win puts West Brom fifth in the Championship, but the win wasn’t without small controversy.
Keith Hackett reacts to furious Preston complaints at West Brom
Preston fans were left scratching their heads initially when Toby Collyer slid in on Harrison Armstrong in the box, taking him down.
Despite that, no penalty was given, and replays have shown that Andrew Kitchen made the right call, something Paul Heckingbottom strongly disagreed with.
Keith Hackett, however, agrees with Kitchen, saying that Collyer made contact with the ball initially.
Speaking exclusively to West Brom News, the ex-PGMOL chief and FIFA-listed referee admitted it was a close call, but was satisfied that the right decision was made.
“This is a close call, and it is evident to me that the defender played the ball and then the attacker fell over the outstretched leg,” Hackett said.
“I am satisfied that this is not a penalty kick and the match official got it right.”
Kevin Friend, the Championship PGMOL chief, is said to have already made contact over the decision with Preston chiefs, saying it was incorrect, which appears strange given the clear footage on offer.
Preston fans rage at West Brom controversy
Despite the footage appearing to show contact with the ball quite clearly, the travelling support were not happy with the decision at The Hawthorns.
One Preston fan wrote: “I’ve seen it all now. How on earth have North End not been awarded a penalty for this?”
Another suggested a wild theory, despite admitting the call was right, saying: “Did win the ball, but the way I look at that is, if that was the other way round it would have been given in a heartbeat.”
It is usually West Brom left complaining about decisions by the officials, but as soon as one appears to go in their favour, even for the right reasons, some kind of controversy is sparked.
Heckingbottom can complain all he likes, but West Brom will take the three points and move on.
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