Once again Hibs returned from Glasgow empty handed but with a sense of injustice after being denied two penalties in their defeat to league-leaders Rangers this afternoon.
A goal from Ianis Hagi midway though the first-half gave Steven Gerrard’s men the lead but Hibs had two penalty claims rejected by referee Willie Collum.
On the hour mark, a Hibs corner was cleared to the edge of the box and as Joe Newell (pictured) headed the ball, Hagi raised his foot high enough to catch the midfielder in the face.
Even former Rangers player Kris Boyd who was working as a pundit for Sky Sports covering the match agreed that Collum had blundered.
He said: “ You can look at Hagi’s reaction as well. He knows, as soon as Newell goes down he turns and looks for the referee to see exactly where he is.
“He was lucky to get away with that one there. I think the manager (Jack Ross) will be frustrated and I think Hagi got away with one. He was lucky.”
Hibs’ midfielder Scott Allan who has missed a large part of the season due to an unspecified medical reason added: “If that happens anywhere else on the park it’s a free-kick. Listen you sometimes get those and sometime don’t but I think anywhere else on the pitch you are getting a free-kick for that.
“ For me that’s a penalty but for me you expect not to get them sometimes when you come to the Old Firm and it’s definitely happened again today.”
Later on Hibs were awarded a corner kick from the right and as Newell’s cross was in the air Ryan Porteous ran toward the front post and was clearly tripped by James Tavernier but once again the referee wasn’t interest.
Hibs’ Head Coach Jack Ross said: We should have had at least one penalty. The Ryan Porteous one is a penalty kick. It was difficult for me to see at the time but I have the benefit of watching it again but I don’t think there is any doubt that it was a penalty.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
