David Gray Defends Hibs' Penalty Decision at Ibrox
David Gray insisted Hibernian’s first-half penalty at Ibrox was the only decision referee Don Robertson could make after VAR stepped in during his side’s dramatic 2-1 win over Rangers.
Hibs stunned the home crowd in Glasgow, first through Josh Campbell’s spot-kick and then with Callum Wright’s stoppage-time solo strike, after Jordan Obita’s late own goal had briefly lit a fire under the hosts and convinced Ibrox they were about to complete the comeback.
The flashpoint came long before the chaos at the end. In the first half, Vanja Dragojević was penalised for dragging down Jason Kerr at a corner, a call that split opinion inside the stadium and beyond. VAR called Robertson to the monitor, and the penalty was given.
Gray, though, was in no doubt once he’d seen it back.
“Straight away the referees have come in and spoke to us about it,” the Easter Road head coach said, referencing pre-season briefings on grappling at set-plays. Corners have become a battleground, and officials have been clear: if defenders focus on the man and not the ball, they run a huge risk.
“At the time I didn't think much of it and my goalie coach said straight away it could be a penalty,” Gray admitted. The game raced on, Rangers broke up the pitch, and for a moment the incident slipped from his mind. Then VAR intervened, the move was pulled back, and the tension inside Ibrox sharpened.
Once the replays rolled, Gray’s stance hardened.
“Seeing it back now I think the officials and VAR have no option but to give it. He's put them in a position where they have to give it,” he said. Dragojević, he noted, never once looked at the ball. His attention stayed locked on Kerr, impeding the defender’s attempt to attack a cross that dropped precisely into the area where the tussle took place.
That, in the modern game, is fatal.
“He's not looking at the ball, he's impeding the player that's trying to head the ball and the ball lands in that area,” Gray pointed out. “It's left the referee no choice but to give the penalty and I think it's the right decision.”
Campbell buried the kick, setting the tone for a Hibs performance that mixed discipline with nerve. Rangers thought they had turned the tide when Obita sliced into his own net with around five minutes left, but Hibs refused to fold and Wright’s late winner turned a nervy afternoon into a statement away victory.
On a day when VAR again sat at the centre of the argument, Gray walked out of Ibrox with three points and one firm conviction: if defenders keep wrestling at corners, this won’t be the last time a game turns on a decision just like this.
