Hibernian's Key Penalty Decision at Ibrox Explained by David Gray

David Gray insisted Hibernian’s first-half penalty at Ibrox was the only decision referee Don Robertson could reach once VAR stepped in – and said Rangers had “left him no choice” with their defending.

Hibs stunned Ibrox with a 2-1 win on Sunday, Josh Campbell converting from the spot before Callum Wright’s stoppage-time solo goal silenced the home crowd. Jordan Obita’s late own goal had briefly ignited hopes of a Rangers comeback, but it was the visitors who landed the decisive punch.

Key Flashpoint

The key flashpoint arrived before all that drama, when Vanja Dragojević was penalised for hauling down Jason Kerr at a corner, a call that dominated debate both during and after the match.

Gray, speaking after full-time, backed the officials once he’d had the chance to see the incident again.

“Straight away the referees have come in and spoke to us about it,” the Easter Road head coach explained, highlighting the clampdown on grappling at set-plays. “About that sort of situation because it does happen a lot at corners. There's a lot of contact and a lot of people fully focused on the player rather than the ball.”

In real time, Gray admitted he did not immediately clock the seriousness of Dragojević’s challenge.

“At the time I didn't think much of it and my goalie coach said straight away it could be a penalty,” he said. “Then you kind of forget about it after they've broke away and they've pulled it back.”

Once VAR sent Robertson to review it, the mood shifted. The replay, in Gray’s eyes, removed any doubt.

“Seeing it back now I think the officials and VAR have no option but to give it,” he said. “He's put them in a position where they have to give it. 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.

“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 ruthlessness. Rangers thought they had wrestled back control when Obita sliced into his own net late on. Instead, they were caught wide open as Wright drove forward in stoppage time to win it.

On a day shaped by a single moment in the box and a late, devastating counter, Gray left Glasgow not just with three points, but with the conviction that the biggest call of the afternoon had been handled exactly as the modern game demands.