REF’S HACK OF A HOWLER

FORMER referee Keith Hackett believes Northern Ireland were badly let down by Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier with Switzerland.

Hategan (above) was the villain after awarding a penalty that shouldn’t have been as the Swiss secured a 1-0 win in the first leg showdown at Windsor Park.

The official’s decision to point to the spot after Xherdan Shaqiri’s shot struck

Corry Evans’ shoulder was branded

“staggering” by Northern Ireland boss Michael O’neill.

Ex-premier League whistler Hackett (inset) branded the award as a “major error” and claimed Fabian

Schar should also have been red carded for an early

lunge on Stuart Dallas. He said: “Rarely do you see a referee at international level make one glaring error in a game, let alone two.

“It was Northern Ireland’s ill luck to encounter such an unfortunate scenario.

“It was clear on replays that the criteria for handball – against

Corry Evans – had not been fulfilled. It was not a deliberate hand ball as

Evans’ arm was by his side when the ball struck.

“Oh dear, at this level no referee wants to deliver such a massive error.”

Hackett believes Swiss centre-back Schar

(inset) should have been dismissed for a “reckless challenge with excessive force” on Leeds United winger Dallas just five minutes into the game. He said: “He (the referee) showed weakness by pulling out of his pocket a yellow.” Northern Ireland midfielder Oliver Norwood says O’neill’s men have to park the injustice of Thursday night and “bounce back” in tomorrow’s second leg in Basel.

He said: “It’s frustrating, but we’re still still in the tie, we’re still in the game.

“We’ll regroup as we always do and give it a right good go in the second leg. We still have a lot to play for.”