Penalty?! I'd have been absolutely livid if that was given against us. Mind you, I've been absolutely livid about most of the penalties given against us this season, especially the last one against Leeds. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.
He just fell down didn't he? Looked like it to me. Their defender was almost as far away from Watkins as Owen Archdeacon was from Gunnar Halle. There's been some shocking decisions this year, particularly for penalties. Makes a change for us to be on the right side of a howler, but I'd prefer referees just to get it right.
The ref was only 10 yards away with nobody in the way and looking from a different angle to the camera so he must have seen something that you couldn't see on the video. But you're right it looked very soft and I would have been apoplectic if it had been given against us. Maybe the ref had been looking back over the season at the terrible decisions against us and decided to redress the balance. Or his wife's from Barnsley and threatened to withdraw bedroom favours.....
Re: The ref was only 10 yards away Looking at the video, no Villa player seems to complain about the decision.
Re: The ref was only 10 yards away Was too far away to see clearly at the ground, but must admit I was very surprised we were given it From the replay I think the Villa player catches Marleys Standing leg as he checked back. The lack of protest from him makes me fairly confident thats the case. I think the ref got it right, but it was definitely one of those we never get given in our favour. We have had far more blatant ones turned down but it was more of a penalty than the ones Fulham and Leeds have been given in recent games. No doubt it helped us as every time we score first away from home we go on and win, but I dont think Villa would have beaten us even without that our other 2 goals were nothing to do with Villa piling forwards so I think we would have won regardless though will never really know
Re: The ref was only 10 yards away ^^^ this ^^^. Players appeal for the slightest thing if they think they've been hard done by. Apart from a few looks towards the lino, there wasn't a peep from them. No-one raised an arm or approached the ref or 'owt. Looked soft from that camera, no doubt, but I think the Villa players knew it was right.
