Former top flight referee Dermot Gallagher explains why VAR didn't overturn Luton's penalty against Wolves

Former Premier League referee official Dermot Gallagher has been explaining why VAR didn’t get involved to overturn the decision to award Luton a penalty during their 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

The incident happened after 65 minutes of the contest at Kenilworth Road, Issa Kabore’s cross rebounding off visiting defender Joao Gomes’ leg and then against his outstretched arm, with referee Josh Smith pointing to the spot.

Carlton Morris tucked away the effort from 12 yards, as afterwards, visiting boss Gary O’Neil, plus Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker and pundit Danny Murphy were left up in arms that the call was allowed to stand.

However, Gallagher, who took 260 top flight matches in his career with the whistle, told the Ref Watch section on Sky Sports why VAR referee John Brooks didn’t ask his colleague over to the screen and the spot-kick was awarded.

He said: “It’s a difficult decision.

"In view of where his hand is, normally if it deflects off a player, very, very rarely do you see it punished.

"It does deflect off him, there’s no doubt about that, it deflects off him at speed, but I just think the fact his arm is so high, it’s unusually high, you don’t often see a player with his arm that high.

"So I feel once the referee gives it, feeds back to the VAR, I think his arm is so high that it’s going to be given.

"The VAR looks at it and sees it’s so high and has to go with the referee.

"They help each other out, the first thing the VAR will have said, ‘you’ve given handball, why?’

"He will explain why, ‘I’m convinced it’s come off his thigh, but his arm is so high that I’m going to penalise.’

"You look at that and there’s nothing there that the VAR could look at to say the referee didn’t see that they could relay back, so it’s all about the proximity of his arm, how high it is.

"You might not like it, I don’t like it, but I think his arm is so high that once the referee gives it, it’s inevitable, it was never, ever going to be overturned.

"I think on balance I can understand why he’s given it because his arm’s so high.”