Blackburn Rovers centre-back Dom Hyam should have been sent off during his side’s draw with Norwich City, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chairman and ex-FIFA official told Football Insider that referee Leigh Doughty should have seen the 29-year-old catching goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the face with his arm, and that the situation is a textbook example of one that demands re-refereeing.
After John Eustace departed his position as Blackburn manager to take over at Derby County last month, this game marked the beginning of a new era for the club.
On Saturday (1 March), Valerien Ismael took command of his debut game as Ewood Park’s new manager, a 1-1 tie with the Canaries.
That occurred after Gary O’Neil, Steven Gerrard, and Richie Wellens were all linked with the position at Blackburn.
Blackburn Rovers face red card controversy against Norwich City
That draw came after a dramatic ending to the game, with the hosts’ replacement Emmanuel Dennis being sent off with only five minutes remaining in normal time.
Ante Crnac then thought he had scored the winner for Norwich in the 90th minute, but Andi Weimann equalised deep into stoppage time to deny Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side.
Prior to that, Blackburn may have been fortunate not to have another player sent off for an altercation involving Hyam and Gunn.
After the visiting goalie caught a cross from a set-piece inside his own penalty area, it appeared like he was ready to launch a swift counter-attack.
Hyam, however, moved across his path before the Blackburn centre-back flung out an arm that struck Gunn in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Referee Doughty took no action in response to the occurrence, and Hackett believes Hyam was incredibly fortunate to avoid penalty, but could be caught later.
Keith Hackett reacts to Dom Hyam, Angus Gunn clash
When asked by Football Insider whether retrospective action may be taken against the Blackburn man, the former referee responded:
“If there ever was a reason to re-referee, this is it. A clear arm in front of the goalkeeper. A red card offence that the referee should have witnessed.”
Following that draw, both Blackburn and Norwich remain in contention for a spot in the Championship play-offs this season.
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