Controversial penalty decision helps Saints topple the Staggies

It seems to be the buzz catchphrase of the season: soft penalty.

Those counting have started to lose track of how many times the Sportscene pundits have argued over the latest spot-kick controversy.

What used to be a clear cut dive has now been adapted to soft as so many players have now learned the murky, dark art of dangling a leg into an opposition player before buckling the other one under very little pressure.

St Mirren experienced two such penalties in the space of February alone, with Jamie Murphy and Greg Taylor of Hibs and Celtic respectively both taking a tumble to win their sides crucial spot kicks.

It has to be said that Saints striker Collin Quaner employed the very same trick on Saturday afternoon to ensure his side picked up the penalty that helped them break the deadlock against Ross County and give their top six hopes a serious shot in the arm.

The issue is Scottish football has now got to the point where any contact inside the box is deemed a penalty by referees.

That issue is compounded by the fact that players and managers know just how much pressure it takes to fell a grown man.

So while referees can point to the contact made, no matter how small, players and managers will still be enraged at the sight of their side losing a penalty to a grown man who’s been touched on the shoulder or leg throwing himself to the ground like he’s been shot.

Saints boss Jim Goodwin has been vocal on the subject, and in fairness to him he said he’d file Quaner’s pen in the soft category while bemoaning the fact that “that’s the way the game has gone”.

Without VAR or some sort of video assistance for referees, which Goodwin has called for recently, our game will continue to be dominated by these kind of decisions.

Especially as certain players become even more skilled at tricking the men in black.