Referee Craig Pawson shows Joe Willock a yellow card for diving
Referee's chief Howard Webb insists Joe Willock deserved to be booked for diving after giving an analysis of the Newcastle United midfielder's penalty appeal against Brighton.
The Magpies were awarded a spot kick after Willock went down following a challenge from Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke in the game at the Amex Stadium. United were trailing 1-0 at the time, and had already had a penalty overturned when it was adjudged Anthony Gordon had been fouled outside the box in an earlier incident.
Referee Craig Pawson ruled Willock had been taken out by the Seagulls defender, but when VAR reviewed the incident it deemed there was minimal contact, overruled the penalty and booked the Toon man for diving.
Former Newcastle United striker Michael Owen, who was hosting the Match Officials Mic’d Up show with Webb, chief operating officer at PGMOL, said he had 'sympathy' for the referee after seeing back the incident.
“I think this is a great clip in terms of what VAR is here for," Owen said. "Not only do they get the decision right, and I can almost have a little bit of sympathy for the referee, but there’s a man in between the challenge. When I first saw it, I thought it looks like a penalty.
"And not only that, but a yellow card for simulation. So the whole chain of events looked like it worked there.”
Webb agreed, and talked through the process of how VAR came to the conclusion that the penalty had to be overturned. While the refs chief admitted that Van Hecke had taken a 'risk' by going to ground, he added that Willock deserved the yellow card for simulation.
“When you watch the clip, you can see that the referee is desperately trying to get that in-between view," Webb said. "The view between Van Hecke and Willock, which is really useful in understanding if there’s contact and if there is who creates the contact, and he gets his view blocked by another Brighton defender.
“And that’s obviously problematic for him, because then he’s making a decision without having that clear view that you’re seeking so desperately. And he thinks he’s seen enough to give a penalty as Van Hecke goes to ground. It’s always risky when you go to ground, he gives the penalty.
“The VAR obviously checks all penalties and you’re right, I think people really like this use of VAR to not only overturn the incorrectly awarded penalty, which is a big moment in the game, but also to quite rightly give a yellow card to the player that’s gone to ground without contact. In this case it’s Willock who has gone down looking to win the penalty and the VAR is able to look at a number of angles and clearly see that that’s not a foul by Van Hecke.”
Newcastle did eventually get a penalty when Pawson pointed to the spot late on for a handball offence. Alexander Isak stepped up to coolly convert and give the Magpies a vital point.