Scottish ex-referee on why Scotland DIDN'T deserve penalty vs Hungary - and Celtic hero agrees

A former Scottish referee has claimed Scotland did NOT deserve a penalty against Hungary for a challenge on Stuart Armstrong.

The substitute hit the deck after being challenged by Willi Orban while trying to get on the end of Scott McTominay's pass to try and have a shot at goal. The referee didn't react and despite the players' appeals, VAR didn't ask him to go and have another look for a potential spot kick.

Raging Steve Clarke let rip after the game and questioned why the officials couldn't come to the conclusion of a penalty award. Pundits have generally agreed too with the feeling Clarke and his players were harshly treated with that call. Even England hero Alan Shearer agreed.

But now a Scot who used to referee in our top flight has taken the opposite view. Steve Conroy admits he was asking for a pen initially but after looking back objectively, changed his mind.

Through the X account for his Behind the Whistles podcast, he said: "I screamed for a penalty, the same as everybody else, because I’m a football supporter. However, looking at it objectively, that was not a penalty. Armstrong initiated the contact and he initiated the fouling by grabbing the defender.

"There was contact against him, but he had already committed the foul. I so wish I was wrong, but the referee team got it absolutely correct."

Sutton agreed with the assertion Armstrong had actually committed a foul first.

He said: "He had already slowed to invite the contact, put his arm across the player and grabbed the player's shirt. He really didn’t need to do that.

"Armstrong has his arm across the defender under his chin to try hold him off. VAR reviewing most probably considered this the first foul before anything that subsequently takes place. Armstrong also does himself no favours by grabbing Orban’s shirt. Be no clear and obvious to invite a review."