Don Goodman...

I can see why people would argue it was a penalty. However, for me our player, was it Kitching?, didn't have the ball under control, wasn't going to go on and shoot or pass. It was a purely accidental collision. If you're going to give a free kick every time there's contact with the other player when trying to make a tackle then it becomes virtually impossible to make any tackle at all.
I'm sure I'm in a minority on this particular incident though.

 

Bet it would have been given had it happened in our penalty area.

 

definite pen mate

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

• charges
• jumps at
• kicks or attempts to kick
• pushes
• strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
• tackles or challenges
• trips or attempts to trip

If an offence involves contact it is penalised by a direct free kick or penalty kick.

• Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed

 

Undoubtedly.

 

But for the penalty it wasn't careless or reckless. It was two players trying to kick a bouncing ball.
Anyway that's me done on the matter.
No penalty and no sending off.

 

I’d like just once to feel like we lost fair and square. But those times seem to get fewer and fewer. Especially in the “big” games.

 

If volleying the back of a player’s calf when nowhere near the ball then I’d say that’s pretty careless and reckless.

 

The main factor in this is that Kitching got their first and touched the ball out of the way before Gregory could, and Gregory ended up booting the back of Kitchings leg with enough force to blatantly see it on the replay.

It's a clear penalty.

 

He did kick his leg. Unintentionally. He was going for the ball which, after Kitching touched it was falling back into a melee, not under his control.
If you accept that the accidental contact was a penalty fair enough but you can't then say Phillips' accidental contact in trying to get the ball wasn't a red card.
For me it should have been no penalty and at worst a yellow for Phillips.
Either way the ref did us.

 

I've seen several pens given this season where the attacking player touches the bouncing ball and has the back/bottom of his kicking foot kicked a split second later by the defender - who's not deliberately kicking the attacker - just got there second. Happens all the time.

 

They make up and adjust the application rules to suit the circumstances, their two prime objectives being to protect their own and to satisfy their Greed League and Sky masters.

 

I guess the question is whether it would have been given as a free kick in any other area of the pitch. I'm pretty sure it would have been.

 

Isn't the whole definition of a foul when someone unintentionally kicks the opposing player whilst going for the ball?

 

It wasn’t an accidental collision though. It was a kick to the shin. Definite penalty