Exclusive: Keith Hackett in disbelief at MacDermid over Dundee derby controversy

Exclusive: Keith Hackett in disbelief at MacDermid over Dundee derby controversy

In an exclusive interview with Football Insider, the former PGMOL leader and former FIFA official said that referee Matthew MacDermid blew his whistle too soon to stop Vicko Sevelj from equalizing at Dens Park on Monday night, January 20.

Thanks to an early strike from Simon Murray, the home team won 1-0 and guaranteed their spot in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

However, Hackett believes that MacDermid’s whistle timing may have wrongfully denied Dundee United an equalizer.

Jim Goodwin’s team believed they had leveled the score with little over 30 minutes remaining when Sevelj shot in from the sidelines after a throw into the box was only cleared as far as him.

However, MacDermid blew his whistle for a foul inside the area in the split second that passed between the ball leaving his boot and striking the back of the Dundee net.

Since VAR was powerless to stop what many believed to be a cheap free-kick given to the hosts, the goal was disallowed.

Instead of letting play continue, Hackett has now implied that MacDermid moved too hastily by calling a foul.

The former referee responded as follows when asked by Football Insider if he ought to have waited to see what transpired before sounding his whistle:

“It’s unbelievable that referees keep getting themselves into this predicament. He ought to have held off on blowing his whistle and let the play finish. It is possible to prevent this kind of conflict.