'I don't know what he's looking at': Shay Given and Les Ferdinand criticise the decision to disallow Joelinton's goal against Southampton for handball... as the ex-Newcastle stars insist the ball 'didn't touch his hand'

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Former Newcastle stars Shay Given and Les Ferdinand have slammed the decision to disallow Joelinton's goal against Southampton for handball.

The incident came in the 40th minute when Joe Willock's shot was saved and the ball eventually fell to Joelinton, who smashed home into the back of the net.

However, the referee ruled it out for handball after he judged that Mohammed Salisu's block from Callum Wilson's rebound hit Joelinton on the arm. VAR checked on the decision and stayed with the on-field decision. 

Joelinton had a goal disallowed for Newcastle after the referee judged the ball hit his hand

Sky Sports pundits saw that they saw nothing wrong with Joelinton's first-half goal

Given, who played for Newcastle from 1997 to 2009, told Sky Sports it was a 'legitimate goal' before adding: 'It's hit his hip, it's bounced up and he's hit it into the net. 

'If VAR see that and they still think it's a handball, I don't know what he's looking at.'

Fellow pundit Francis Benali said there were 'three or four that could back-up' referee Stuart Attwell's decision, before saying there was one that 'you would say VAR should go look at it'.

Eddie Howe protests the decision to disallow Joelinton's goal for handball in the first-half

Given in response said: 'I think Frani's speaking sense after all. He's seen the good angle there. 

'It's a difficult job for the referee, the angle he's at, maybe he thinks its handball. But there's no reason why VAR can't get in his ear, it would only take 30-60 seconds and say "Go have a look at this angle Stuart because I think you might have got this wrong". 

'They should get it right between them, it's not a hand ball, it should be a goal.'

Joelinton then missed a sitter before later opening the scoring finally in the second-half

Les Ferdinand, who spent two seasons with the Magpies in the 1990s, said: 'I'm in the striker's union and i think it hits his hip, rolls up his chest and he volleys it in. 

'But from the referee's angle, from what he sees, he sees it as hand ball. But we've looked at it so many times, and you don't see it hit his hand.'

Joelinton later in the game missed a sitter which was described as the 'miss of the season'.

It was third time lucky for the Brazilian however, as he finally scored the goal to put Newcastle ahead at St Mary's.

Newcastle's 1-0 victory gives them the edge going into the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.