Livingston boss David Martindale blasted referee Kevin Clancy after the Lins slumped to a 1-0 loss away to St Johnstone that noticed them fall out of the highest six.
It was a recreation of two penalty selections at McDiarmid Park with the hosts being awarded one within the third minute that was transformed by Callum Hendry for the one objective of the sport – and one not given for Livi within the closing phases for a transparent handball from St Johnstone defender Dan Cleary.
Martindale disputed the choice to award Saints an early spot-kick after Jack Fitzwater had been adjudged to have used his elbow on Callum Hendry, noting each that Murray Davidson had been offside within the build-up and the precise choice to punish Fitzwater was harsh.
Nonetheless, he was incensed that Clancy had did not award the Lions a possible life-line within the contest within the dying minutes when Cleary stumbled and used his arm to deflect Andrew Shinnie’s supply into the field.
Martindale mentioned: “The primary penalty, Murray Davidson is offside from the free-kick that comes into the field. He will get the primary contact. I feel it’s harsh on Fitzy, I feel he’s shielding the ball and Hendry goes in and makes essentially the most of it – nevertheless it’s offside earlier than that. The linesman is trying straight throughout the road.
“Everyone within the stadium, together with the seagulls knew it was a penalty for us. How we’ve not been given for that, I'll by no means know. I’ve spoken to the St Johnstone gamers and administration crew they usually all mentioned ‘how did you not get a penalty?”
He added: “The importance of that call might be huge for this soccer membership. I don’t need to speak to Kevin Clancy, it’s a stonewall penalty. We had one towards us towards Celtic at our place the place Fitzwater is pushing himself again up together with his arm they usually hit the ball towards it and it’s a penalty.
“He will get the primary offside choice fallacious, then he will get the penalty fallacious, then he will get our penalty fallacious. It’s actually troublesome to take. What do I say to my gamers? They really feel onerous carried out by, I really feel onerous carried out by and I feel we’ve each proper to.”
Martindale handed a primary begin to USA worldwide striker Sebastian Soto with the Lions’ prime scorer Bruce Anderson out injured however they obtained off to the worst attainable begin when Clancy dominated that Fitzwater had used his elbow on Hendry with the striker slamming the spot-kick straight down the center.
Livi recovered properly and threatened an equaliser when neat link-up play between Joel Nouble and Alan Forrest noticed the latter curl an effort on objective that was properly handled by Zander Clark. The keeper was referred to as upon once more shortly after when Soto jinked his manner past Cleary and fired a rasping angled drive on objective that Clark did properly to get a powerful hand to and forestall the hazard.
The Saints had their possibilities, too, and Ali Crawford will need to have thought his fizzling drive from 20 yards was web certain, just for Max Stryjek to divert the trouble broad after needing each inch of his outstretched body to tip the ball behind.
Livi struggled to get a foothold within the second half they usually had been nearly made to pay when Nadir Ciftci noticed his glancing header simply earlier than the hour mark go narrowly broad of the far publish whereas the guests had been lucky to maintain their full praise of gamers on the park when James Penrice lunged in on Cleary contained in the Saints field.
With Livi flinging every little thing ahead in a bid to get again into the match, Cleary was within the thick of the motion as soon as once more when the Irishman stumbled 12 yards from his personal objective together with his arm falling onto the ball that Shinnie had despatched into the field with Clancy properly positioned to present the seemingly apparent choice.
Odin Bailey noticed his effort repelled by Clark following that incident and whereas that call went towards them, the Lions ought to nonetheless have been travelling again right down to West Lothian with a share of the spoils when Sean Kelly’s fantastic supply into the field discovered the unmarked Ayo Obileye with the defender contriving to overlook the goal.
Martindale added: “I we had been the higher crew however honest play to St Johnstone as a result of I felt they managed their 18 yard field extraordinarily properly. They gave us loads of possession however they defended properly.
“We’ve nonetheless obtained an opportunity of stepping into the highest six however who actually is aware of who's going to be in it? We’ve given ourselves a preventing likelihood however we are able to solely management what we are able to management.”
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