'Extremely soft' - Gray fumes at penalty calls in Ross County draw that Hibs 'should have won'

Hibs boss David Gray has described both penalty kicks awarded to Ross County in their 1-1 draw in the Highland as ‘extremely soft’ in a game they should have won.

Jordan Smith saved Jordan White’s spot kick in the first half which was awarded after a VAR intervention for a hand ball by Nicky Cadden before Dylan Levitt gave the visitors the lead. Playing on a pitch that had been badly damaged by the weather they couldn't find a second and a late through ball saw Smith bring down Ronan Hale in the box with the striker stepping up to this time convert and recuse a draw for the hosts.

“I think we've done enough over the piece [to win],” said Gray. “I don't think we were brilliant, I don't think it was a great game. I thought the pitch clearly was not conducive to playing free-flowing football, but I thought we dealt with the conditions well, got ourselves in front, and then once we were in front, limited them to next to no chances at all, apart from obviously they get two penalties within the game. When you're only 1-0 up, you do run the risk of being pegged back, but like I say, for that whole game I felt pretty in control and thought that we were going to hold on for three points.”

On the penalty decisions, Gray said: “Soft, extremely soft would be my understanding on both. I think the first one especially because of the fact that nobody appeals for the first one at all. Actually I think it's really poor defending for us, and as I said to Nicky, he switches off at the back post initially, so it's poor defending and we should get punished for that anyway.

“The ball bounces and Brown doesn't get to the ball, but once Nicky reacts to go inside him, then naturally the ball goes past him and I think it's impossible to turn with your hand at your side, so it does catch his arm as it goes past him, but there's nobody coming in behind him, the ball's just going to go to play and clear the box, and the letter of the law is he's arm away from the body, maybe, but you need to take any of these considerations as well. I think that's extremely soft from my point of view, the fact that nobody claims and nobody knew nothing about it, so that's frustrating, but then Jordan makes the save, which is great, so that's part of the game.

“The penalty in the second half, and even that one, again, I think, soft, but at the same time, the referee, I've asked the referee about it, and his words were that he felt the goalkeeper came out in a reckless way and didn't win the ball, so as soon as he does that, and there is a little bit of contact, VAR are not going to intervene, clearly, because they feel that there was contact, I've seen it back, I think the goalkeeper makes himself big, spreads himself to block a save, like you would do, I think the striker gets to the ball first and kicks it out of the pitch, and then momentum takes him into the goa.

“I don't think the goalie makes a second movement towards him at all, so I think that's really harsh, and I think, on the basis of that, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses, because we should have stopped the cross initially, we shouldn't have ran the ball at the pitch, there's other things we can do to make it better, but it does make it a wee bit more frustrating, the fact that we came away with just a point, when, if we get through that moment, it's three points and down the road and job done.”

Gray also took time to praise the travelling Hibs support who brought just shy of 1000 supporters up from the capital. It was difficult conditions to travel in but the fans made the long journey and sang their heart out.

“They go everywhere with us every single week,” said Gray. “The support we've had for them, it's been incredible, and like you said, when we left yesterday morning, over 1,000 people would leave from the central belt to try and make their way up here today, they thought there'd be absolutely no chance, so massive credit to everyone for coming up, we're really grateful for their support, and I hope they get home safely, and we'll look forward to seeing them next week at Easter Road.”