Ben Toner’s decision to give Hull City a penalty against Watford on Saturday after Fabio Carvalho was sent sprawling in the box was commended by former referee Chris Foy.
After only ten minutes, City’s lightning-fast burst through midfield saw Abdus Omur sprint forward before passing it off to Ozan Tufan, who then supplied Carvalho. However, Wesley Hoedt tripped Carvalho in the penalty area, prompting Toner to gesture to the spot.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Daniel Bachmann, a former Hornets teammate, successfully blocked Ozan Tufan’s spot-kick, and the game finished in a 0-0 draw, severely hurting City’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
Liam Rosenior requested a second when Liam Delap was fouled inside the box late into the second half, while Hornets boss Tom Cleverley thought his team should have been awarded a penalty for a handball. Both managers were upset with earlier decisions Toner made during the game.
When considering only the penalty awarded in the tenth minute, however, veteran Premier League official Foy supported Toner’s very early decision. He stated: “The decision to award Hull City a penalty here highlights the importance of positioning and good movement to create a good viewing angle for a referee when it comes to making key match judgements,” Foy stated to Behind the Whistle.
“The referee moves himself very effectively, demonstrating good awareness to be able to position himself where he has a clear view of the collision, as Hull City break quickly towards the opponent’s goal.
“The referee is positive to give a penalty when Hull’s number 45 is tripped within the penalty area because there is obvious contact with consequence—Watford’s number four fails to get a touch on the ball and trips the Hull attacker. The right thing to do is to impose the penalty.”
