“It’s not a penalty, it’s a very weak decision and never a foul”-Alan Shearer blasts referee Craig Pawson decision to award Newcastle penalty v Brentford
Newcastle United ground out victory over Brentford to end a run of three straight Premier League defeats and the match was decided by Callum Wilsons penalty
Alan Shearer agreed with Thomas Frank’s view on the penalty which proved decisive in Newcastle United’s victory over Brentford. Callum Wilson scored the only goal of the game from the spot after Mark Flekken was penalised for a collision with Anthony Gordon.
It was a hard-fought contest for the hosts, with Eddie Howe making five changes to the team which lost at Brighton last time out. Wilson put the ball in the net moments before the penalty incident, only for VAR to chalk off the strike for a foul on Flekken after the goalkeeper failed to claim the ball.
Brentford’s number one was then on the wrong side of a call from referee Craig Pawson after Gordon pounced on a loose backpass from Aaron Hickey. Frank could not hide his frustration following the full-time whistle, insisting he would expect an apology from PGMOL chief Howard Webb over the decision.
Shearer feels Gordon initiated the contact, and pointed to an incident in Brentford’s opening-day draw with Tottenham to highlight a lack of consistency. But from a Newcastle perspective, the legendary striker insised the win was crucial to arrest a run of three straight losses.
Shearer told Match of the Day: “I think after three defeats, the result today [Saturday] was far more important than the performance. But I totally understand Thomas Frank’s frustration, just to prove I’m that not biased, I don’t think this is a penalty.
“The way he [Frank] summed it up is perfect because I do think Anthony Gordon leaves his leg in there. The ‘keeper is pulling out, there is contact but Gordon makes the contact. He sticks his right leg out…but I just think the ‘keeper is pulling out.”
The clip of Kevin Schade’s collision with Guglielmo Vicario on the opening day was then shown. Shearer added: “We were told it was an inevitable collision, and that’s why they didn’t get this one.
“So you can understand [Frank’s frustration], there is no consistency at all. I didn’t think that was a penalty today at all.”
