Sky Sports Ref Watch debate Burnley's disallowed goal vs Sunderland and potential red card
Lyle Foster had a goal harshly chalked off during Burnley’s 2-0 win against Sunderland on Saturday.
It would have been the icing on the cake for the striker, who led the line superbly as Scott Parker’s side clamed their first win of the season.
Thankfully it didn’t impact the final result, with second-half goals from Josh Cullen and Jaidon Anthony securing the three points.
Foster appeared to do little wrong as he raced into the Sunderland box, beating defender Jenson Seelt to the ball before slotting past the goalkeeper in emphatic fashion.
Referee Michael Salisbury had a different view, however, while the Premier League Match Centre clarified that Foster had “clearly tripped” the Black Cats man.
Addressing the incident on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, both ex-ref Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd were in agreement that the correct decision was made.
Gallagher said: “This is why we're talking about it, isn't it? Because it leads to a goal.
"The referee's quite close. He [Foster] does give him a little shove and that's what the referee gives. See, the referee whistles straight away. So the referee gives the on-field decision, he’s fouled him there. Once he gives that foul, the VAR is never overruling him.”
Bothroyd added: “That's a foul. He's tangled his legs. That's a foul all day.
"It's not a case of being stronger. If the shoe was on the other foot, that would be a penalty, right? So from the other side, it's a foul.
"He [Seelt] is ahead of him, he's in control. The ball's at his feet almost. His next touch will probably be to take it to one side and clear it. But ultimately, it's a free-kick and I think that's the right decision all day.”
The panel also discussed whether or not Sunderland’s Simon Adingra was fortunate to only be booked for lashing out at Hannibal with a hand to his face.
Gallagher said: “Well, people say lucky because he does give him a little slap. But I think it's more petulant than [anything else]. Is it violent? No. Is it brutal? No. People say he gets lucky, but do you really want to see a player sent off for that?”
Bothroyd responded: “I mean, I'll tell you what – Hannibal goes down there, he's getting sent off. I mean, I think you would agree with that, right? If Hannibal goes down... it’s a different decision. Yeah, he's going to get sent off there. It is soft. He hasn't absolutely smacked him in the face. He's just given him a little cheeky one.”
Gallagher then explained that a raised hand doesn’t automatically necessitate a sending off, to which Bothroyd cheekily retorted: “So you can raise your hand, but if it's not violent or brutal...so if I just clap you in the face, it's fine?
"So if I do it every week, it's fine? Any pro that's watching this game, you can tap people in the face. It's alright. That would upset me.”