James Penrice escaped a red card for a high challenge on Afeez Aremu, while two handball shouts at Hampden sparked fury from pundits and former officials during Rangers' semi-final against Aberdeen.
Penrice High Boot and Handball Claims
With 16 minutes on the clock, Rangers appealed for a penalty when Ayoub Mouloua appeared to handle the ball after an Emmanuel Fernandez knockdown in the area. Referee Ryan Lee gave nothing and was backed by John Beaton in the VAR room.
But Michael Stewart disagreed on Premier Sports commentary, saying: "That's a penalty kick for me. They talk about the T-shirt line, which is a complete fallacy anyway, but that's well down his arm. There's no consistency in the ones they give and don't give. I thought initially his arm had come out due to the Rangers player, but for me it's a penalty kick."
Then came the flashpoint involving James Penrice, who caught Aremu in the hip with his studs. Lee showed a yellow card, and no review was called by the VAR team. Penrice later played a decisive role in Ryan Naderi's winning goal.
Pundits and Former Refs React
Stewart was unhappy with that decision too, and this time he was backed by the Ref's View podcast, run by former Grade One officials Des Roache and Steve Conroy, who said: "A red card would be absolutely warranted. Poor first half from Ryan Lee and John Beaton."
A second handball incident occurred in the Rangers box, appearing to strike Dujon Sterling on the forearm and prompting loud appeals from the Aberdeen support for a spot-kick.
An increasingly enraged Stewart said: "It hits his forearm! He misses the ball and it hits his arm. I've seen a million incidents like that that have been given. He doesn't get his head anywhere near it!"
Speaking after the game, former Dons defender Andy Considine said: "It's very similar (to Mouloua). It's harsh. You need your arms to jump, but I've seen them given."
