Willian scored an injury-time winner from the penalty spot as Wolves were on the wrong end of more video assistant referee controversy in their Premier League defeat at Fulham.
With the score at 2-2 referee Michael Salisbury awarded the match’s third penalty after a VAR review.
Salisbury had initially waved play on after Harry Wilson and Joao Gomes came together in the box, but overturned his call after the VAR advised him to look at the pitchside monitor.
Willian then dispatched his second spot-kick of the half.
Alex Iwobi had opened the scoring in the seventh minute for the hosts, side-footing Antonee Robinson’s cutback through the legs of Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Matheus Cunha equalised for the visitors after 22 minutes, heading in Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s cross after the Frenchman skilfully beat Robinson down the right.
Willian restored Fulham’s lead with the first penalty of the game just before the hour mark after Nelson Semedo had caught Tom Cairney on the edge of the box.
But Wolves soon had a spot-kick of their own inside the final 20 minutes when Tim Reem bundled over Hwang Hee-chan and the South Korea winger struck Wolves’ second equaliser from 12 yards.
Fulham rode their luck and benefitted from another late penalty call to sneak all three points.
It was a tale of three penalties at Craven Cottage.
The first spot-kick referee Salisbury awarded was when Semedo caught Cairney in the area, although the VAR took a lengthy look at the call.
It upheld the on-field decision, even if Semedo did touch the ball as he made contact with Cairney.
About 15 minutes later Wolves won a penalty of their own when a long ball over the top had Hwang sprinting in on goal, but he was caught by Reem inside the area. The VAR had a quicker look at the decision, although the call appeared to be clear-cut.
Salisbury had initially waved play on in stoppage time when Fulham’s Wilson hit the deck, but was sent to his pitchside monitor by the VAR and awarded a third penalty which Willian dispatched.
There was time for a late penalty shout in the dying seconds of the match, when the ball struck the arm of a Fulham defender – albeit accidently – and play was rightly waved on.
The result ended Fulham’s four-match winless run in the Premier League as they recorded their first league victory since beating Sheffield United 3-1 on 7 October.
Decisions continue to go against Wolves
This is not the first time this season Wolves fans will feel their side have been on the wrong end of VAR.
Against Manchester United in their opener they were denied a late penalty despite United goalkeeper Andre Onana clattering into Sasa Kalajdzic.
Referees’ chief Howard Webb, who is head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), contacted Wolves officials after the match to apologise.
Wolves conceded a stoppage-time penalty in their 2-1 loss to Sheffield United at the start of November, when Fabio Silva fouled George Baldock in the box.
Manager Gary O’Neil described the decision a “big error” on BBC’s Match of the Day.
And just before the international break Wolves were on the wrong end of another key decision when Hwang was penalised for fouling Fabian Schar in a 2-2 draw with Newcastle, a call that Webb again clarified was incorrect.
Wolves will feel aggrieved with their loss at Craven Cottage having also hit the bar when trailing in the first half through Hwang.
They travel to Arsenal for their next match on Saturday in the Premier League, when they will be without Lemina and Gomes who have accumulated too many yellow cards.
(BBC)
