SFA panel rules that third Motherwell goal against Rangers should have STOOD… insisting on-field decision was incorrect
The SFA’s Key Match Incidents panel believes Jack Butland’s own goal against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday should have stood.
With the score at 2-1 to the home side in the second half, Andy Halliday’s corner was rolled into his own net by the Rangers keeper, under pressure from home striker Tony Watt.
However, referee Kevin Clancy awarded a foul to the attacker, without the intervention of the VAR.
Rangers then grabbed a point when they leveled the match through Hamza Igamane’s second goal of the day.
But the five-man KMI panel felt Motherwell should have taken a 3-1 lead after earlier goals from Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Tawanda Maswanhise.
Butland punches the ball into his own goal, but the goal is disallowed due to a push from Watt
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell was furious that the goal was disallowed by the referee
Their judgment, published on Monday, said: ‘The panel discussed this decision at length, with the majority (3:2) considering the on-field decision to be incorrect.
‘The majority (3:2) believed that VAR should have intervened and recommended an OFR (on field review) to award the goal.
‘Two members of the panel emphasized that they felt it was not clear enough that VAR would be involved and that the decision needed to be supported on the pitch.’
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell was furious that his players were denied what he believed was a legitimate goal.
Kettlewell, who was later shown a red card, said, believing the incident was the latest in a series of marginal decisions that had gone against him: “I think it’s fair to say again that I’m just baffled by the situation on the field. decision. For me it is total overprotection of a goalkeeper.
‘If we say that the level of contact from Tony Watt justifies the foul, then I would have to argue whether Butland’s level of contact towards Tony Watt pushes him out of the way, to initiate it… deserves a penalty?
“And the answer to neither is no. It’s not a penalty, but for me it’s certainly not a free kick.
“Tony does his job with the goalkeeper, and they can do that too.”