Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has explained his unhappiness with two decisions that had gone against the Dons on Saturday.
McInnes’ men drew 1-1 with St Mirren in Paisley, Jamie McGrath’s penalty goal before half-time cancelling out Jonny Hayes’ opener on the 37th minute. Referee Bobby Madden came under criticism afterwards.
The Dons boss wasn’t happy about the penalty Saints were given or the decision to send Lewis Ferguson off for two bookings. McInnes reckons his men have did no wrong.
“I’m very disappointed with the penalty decision,” said McInnes. “I know referees are under pressure with this new rule but having looked at it again, I honestly don’t know what Tommie Hoban is supposed to do with his left arm there.
“All the referee’s meetings we attend and the examples we get shown, we’re told one of the biggest criteria in deciding if it’s a penalty or not is the distance the ball travels. That is normally taken into consideration before a referee gives a penalty kick. That’s not the case there.
“Then in the second half, the second booking for Lewis is very harsh. Referees tell me that a foul in the opposition half that isn’t stopping a promising attack shouldn’t be a booking. That wasn’t a promising attack.
“Fergie’s been fobbed off there. Obika has used his strength, his body to protect the ball, he’s stopped still and Fergie’s just run into him. I don’t think that’s ever a yellow card offence. The first booking, that’s fair enough, no complaints, even if it was early in the game but from there he managed himself well.
“He’s maturing in that regard and I don’t think the boy has done anything wrong there, yet he’s getting heavily punished. He hasn’t got himself in a bad position. I don’t think the error is his.
“Aside from that, I felt the commitment and the spirit of the team was good, I felt we did as much attacking in the first ten minutes as we managed in the whole first half last week and we scored a very good goal from our point of view.