Referee John Beaton gave Hibernian a penalty in their 3-3 draw with Rangers, leaving Robbie Savage perplexed.
Hamza Igamane gave the Gers the lead after just four minutes, making it 2-0 in the 19th minute. However, Martin Boyle rallied the home team to tie the score 2-1 before halftime.
After an hour, Ianis Hagi struggled to receive the ball from Josh Campbell as he entered the area, but the referee ruled that he did not take any of the ball, and Hibernian scored the penalty to tie the score. Beaton Juar then gave Hibs a penalty.
However, Savage expressed his disapproval of the penalty ruling in real time on BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast 606 (5 January, 18:40) when he asked, “How is that a penalty?
The Rangers player was kicked by the Hibs player. Never a fine.
“He [Hagi] was kicked after getting goal side.”
“How is it a penalty if he gets kicked after getting in front?
He was kicked while he was goal side, putting his body between the goal and the ball. Hagi was on the goal side.
Rangers defeat Hibernian with a point.
Rangers, who took the lead early in the game and went ahead 3-2 thanks to Igamane’s hat-trick, will have been disappointed to leave this match with just a point.
The decision to impose a penalty following his challenge will undoubtedly make Hagi feel a little more accountable.
Savage’s point of view is understandable given that it was most likely a soft call for a foul and that it gave the home team the lift they needed to alter the course of play. But, since a challenge like his in the box can always be risky, you also need to question the 26-year-old’s judgement.
Igamane scored a flawless hat-trick, which was fortunate for Philippe Clement, but it is concerning that they gave up the lead once more.
However, the burden remains on the Ibrox team, who desperately need to be consistent, as the Gers will be trying to build on their 3-0 success against Celtic on Thursday, December 2.
