Refreshing honesty from Hearts’ striker

In the aftermath of Saturday`s derby match, striker Jamie Mole has admitted that referee Steve Conroy was correct to NOT award a late penalty when Hibs goalie Stack appeared to collide with the Hearts man as he chased the rebound from Gary Glen`s shot. Conroy checked with his assistant before waving “play on”, despite the vocal appeals of the home crowd.

Mole said today in The Scotsman that only his momentum carried him over the top of Stack as he sensed the chance for a dramatic late strike.

‘It wasn’t a penalty. The goalkeeper came out obviously trying to get the ball and I had nowhere to go, so I had to go over the top of him. I couldn’t go anywhere else but there wasn’t any contact,’ he said.

‘I think the penalty would have been the difference between us winning the game and drawing it but it wasn’t to be and we had to settle for a point.’

Having seen the incident on TV replays, I`d agree that it didn`t merit a penalty. However in the heat of the moment, referees do occasionally award a penalty for “soft” incidents like Saturday`s one. Basically, his comments illustrate that there is a “middle ground” between a penalty and a booking for “simulation” – where a forward can collide innocently with a goalkeeper as part and parcel of the game. It would be good to see referees accept the that this “middle ground” exists at corner kicks too, where a forward who simply gets in a keeper`s way is frequently penalised.

I think it`s refreshing to hear a footballer make a public statement like this – although you have to wonder if he would have made the same admission if the penalty had been awarded !!