Raging Wishaw boss David Dunn says his side lost 2-1 and were knocked out of the Scottish Junior Cup by a Maybole penalty clincher for a foul that was outside the box.
And while he says Scott Nicol let himself down by being sent off for a flare-up after the award, Dunn reckons referee Kieran O’Reilly couldn’t wait to send his man off.
Warren Grenfell got the hosts off the mark inside three minutes of the second round clash at the Beltane, but Maybole levelled with a penalty that Dunn says was justified.
Just as Wishaw were getting to grips with the game, however, the controversial penalty was awarded, Nicol booted the ball away, said something to the official, and received his marching orders.
“The game was decided by two refereeing decisions,” said Dunn.
“I thought we were very comfortable in the game at 1-0, we weren’t giving much away.
“Don’t get me wrong – the first one is a penalty, we got caught goal-side and pulled the man back, so I have no qualms about that.
“They got a wee bit of a lift from that, again there wasn’t much in it, and then the second one is never a penalty.
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“It’s outside the box, even all their officials have told me that. But what happened after it, to lose the player too... he knows he’s let himself down there, he can’t react like that.
“I’m not sticking up for him, but if you put yourself in that situation, where it’s 1-1 and you’ve given away a penalty... you can’t react like that.
“He’s kicked the ball away, then said something to the referee, so I don’t know what he’s actually done.
“But to be fair, the ref couldn’t wait to send him off.”
Dunn added: “The second penalty... I’ll emphasise that a few of their players and one of the Maybole officials said it was a sore way for us to lose, because it wasn’t a penalty, it was outside the box.
“The double barrel scenario by losing the man too really then just changes everything.
“It’s then an uphill task for us and it’s one of those where we’ve probably let slip a great opportunity to progress in the cup.
“That’s probably a couple of decisions that have turned the game against us.
“There’s a way to win, and a way to lose.
“We’re not being carved open, we’re not losing good goals against good teams – we’re giving teams goals.”
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