Experts back Lamps in derby penalty row

FORMER Coventry City striker Jay Bothroyd says Frank Lampard was right to be 'fuming' about the Sky Blues' defeat to Birmingham City on Sunday.

- By BRIAN DICK Football Writer

Lampard's team twice came from behind and were looking for a third equaliser Ephron Mason-Clark looked to have been hauled to the ground by Tomoki Iwata.

Referee James Linington did not award the spot-kick Lampard insisted his side deserved, with the City boss saying after the game: "I think it's quite clear - it's clear as day Ephron gets dragged down."

And Bothroyd, appearing on Sky Sports' Ref Watch with former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher, says the manager was right to be angry.

"Straight away when I saw this with my naked eye, I said penalty," Bothroyd said.

"I know Frank Lampard was fuming about this, and so were the Coventry players, to be honest.

"I think this is a penalty because when he's played that diagonal ball, if you look at Iwata, he's behind MasonClark.

"Mason-Clark has brought it down on his chest, his next movement would be a shot. You can see Iwata's not looking at the ball. He's just trying to block MasonClark from having a shot. In my eyes, I think that's a penalty."