West Ham United would’ve been lucky to be awarded a penalty in the second half against Burton Albion in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Pitrelli Stadium hosted the Hammers on 14 February in the fourth round of the competition, and with the scores 0-0, a scramble during a corner saw two handball incidents in a matter of seconds.

In the 67th minute, an Irons’ corner initially seemed to hit Kyran Lofthouse around his arm, which was tucked in, and the ball subsequently fell to Konstantinos Mavropanos, whose shot then clearly caught Terence Vancooten’s raised hand, albeit from a close distance.

Despite calls for Lewis Smith to point to the spot, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has backed the on-field referee’s decision not to award a spot kick.

Burton Albion avoid harsh decision vs West Ham United

Burton did a decent job holding off the Hammers, who arguably didn’t come to the races in the first half.

While Nuno Espirito Santo’s team talk at the break spurred the Irons a bit, they were unable to break down a resolute League One outfit that has struggled in the league this season, sitting in the relegation zone.

The Brewers would’ve surely been heartbroken if they had been penalised for the handball incident, but Smith made sure the home fans had nothing to be frustrated about with the officiating.

Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Hackett said: “In the first incident, the ball strikes the player’s arm, but there is no offence, and I’m satisfied that the referee made the correct call.”

The ex-PGMOL chief added, “However, in the same phase of play, we witnessed a defender with a slightly raised arm and the ball struck it. It would’ve been a harsh decision, and I believe the referee made the correct call.”

Burton did well to take the game to extra time, but Crysencio Summerville, who replaced Ollie Scarles late in the second half, broke the deadlock in the 95th minute as the East London outfit came away with a 1-0 victory.

Nuno Espirito Santo has undroppable at London Stadium after FA Cup win

Nuno’s main priority this season surely will be securing the Hammers’ Premier League status.

As things stand, West Ham are three points behind 17th-place Nottingham Forest, and their recent form has been encouraging for supporters.

Mavropanos is someone who has clearly cemented his place in the starting lineup and has been pivotal to the Irons’ recent resurgence in the league.

Apart from the 28-year-old Greece international’s defensive contribution against Burton, he also looked threatening in the final third, and supporters will hope he can continue that form against Bournemouth at the London Stadium on 21 February.

Hammers fans can check out Football Insider for more in-depth coverage of their favourite team.