Newcastle United were denied a penalty during their goalless draw against Bournemouth when Nick Woltemade went to the ground.
It was yet another 0-0 draw for the Magpies, but the game at the Vitality Stadium did not come without its fair share of controversies.
Andoni Iraola believes Malick Thiaw should have been sent off for a second bookable offence when he brought down Ryan Christie outside the box. However, referee Rob Jones kept the cards in his pocket for that incident.
Meanwhile, Eddie Howe believed Newcastle United were denied a penalty when Nick Woltemade hit the deck following a coming together with Bafode Diakate. Replays showed that the defender was pulling on Woltemade’s shirt, enough for it to be ripped at the shoulder area.
Woltemade was called ‘theatrical’ after the penalty claim, but the replays showed that there was a clear pull on the shirt by the Bournemouth defender. Newcastle felt aggrieved after the game, but did Dermot Gallagher have the same view?
Dermot Gallagher questions Nick Woltemade’s actions amid Newcastle United penalty claim
The decision has been met with split opinions, with Newcastle fans obviously stating that it should have been a spot-kick, while those closer to Bournemouth believe that it is soft.
Former PGMOL chief Gallagher has sided with the latter after seeing the incident.
Speaking on Sky Sports Ref Watch about Newcastle’s penalty claim, Gallagher says: “Is there enough to go down like that?”
In response, former Premier League footballer Jay Bothroyd said: “If he was smaller, would you give him the benefit of the doubt? I would want it if I was playing, but I can understand why you would say it would be soft.
“When there are situations with taller players, they always say ‘he should be stronger, look how big he is’. But a foul is a foul. Pulling a shirt is pulling a shirt.
“If the ref did give a penalty, people might be surprised but would say, ‘I understand why he’s given it’. You’ve seen penalties given for things like that.”
Newcastle United have to make do with Rob Jones’ decision against Bournemouth
While Howe thinks it was a penalty, there is no turning back now. Newcastle have to take the decision not to award a penalty at face value.
VAR checked and cleared the incident, so they were in complete agreement with the referee’s call on the day.
Newcastle should count themselves fortunate that they were not reduced to 10 men for the final few minutes following Thiaw’s risky foul.
Elsewhere, Alan Shearer was livid with Harvey Barnes after he deliberately handled the ball in the dying moments of the game, giving Bournemouth a free-kick on the edge of the area. His split-second decision nearly cost Newcastle a valuable point on the road.
While the penalty call was controversial, Newcastle cannot feel too aggrieved, as they were not the better side during the 90 minutes.
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