Dermot Gallagher reacts to penalty decision given against Leeds

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Dermot Gallagher has told Sky Sports that Tim Robinson made a mistake giving a penalty against Leeds United during the early stages of their clash with Fulham on Saturday.

Ben White was penalised for a push for Bobby Reid as a cross came in at Craven Cottage. The Leeds loanee had put his hands on the Fulham forward. But there looked to be very little contact and no force involved before Reid went down.

Nevertheless, Robinson felt that it was a penalty. And that handed Aleksandar Mitrovic the chance to put Scott Parker’s men in front in a game that they would ultimately win 2-1.

But Gallagher suggested that he felt that the official got the decision wrong.

“It’s not a penalty for me,” he told Sky Sports. “He feels the slightest of touches in the back and he goes down. The referee Tim Robinson has miss-read it as he feels he’s shoved him in the back, but there’s not enough there for me.”

Leeds fans would be forgiven for feeling extremely frustrated. It is not the first time this season that Leeds have suffered a 2-1 defeat after the controversial award of a penalty against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Their previous loss came at Millwall in early October. On that occasion, Gaetano Berardi was sent off after Tom Bradshaw went down inside the box.

Replays suggested that there was no contact between the pair, and Berardi’s red card was subsequently overturned. But Leeds would have understandably felt that the damage had already been done.

The Whites responded to that setback with an 11-game unbeaten run. And Bielsa will be hoping that his side respond in a similar manner following their weekend disappointment.