Pars fizz with indecisions
Sunday, 17th Dec 2017Sean Murdoch:- "I think the linesman overturned his decision because the St Mirren players hounded the referee
It was in Dublin in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1981, that a song called Making Your Mind Up stole the show. Bucks Fizz piled in the points that night but on Saturday the Pars contes yielded nul points and came courtesy of a controversial change of mind.
Bucking the tendency to dismiss appeals from players, referee Craig Charleston changed his decision to award the visitors a second half penalty and so it was the Dunfermline players and management who left Paisley fizzing.
St Mirren manager Jack Ross felt that Dunfermline goalkeeper Sean Murdoch should have been sent off in the ninth minute of the match and the 31 year old agreed but only because the referee awarded the free kick. Sean gave his view:-
"There was no contact and Gavin said that as well. I am friends with Gavin from last season and he said that there was no contact as well. It was the linesman who gave it and he gave it five to ten seconds after the incident happened. That just says to me that there was an uncertainty, he wasn`t actually sure what had happened.
"If he gave the free kick I am guessing that he probably should have sent me off because it was denying a goalscoring opportunity but there was no contact.
"I suppose I was lucky to stay on the park. He was one on one with me and was going passed me. It was outside the box so it is deemed to be a red card.
"He gave a free kick that he probably shouldn`t have because it wasn`t a free kick in the first place. He got both incidents wrong, it shouldn`t have been a free kick but he gave me a yellow card. It was pretty poor refereeing if I am being honest."
Turning to another controversial decision from the officials, Sean said that he had spoken to the dug out side linesman who had been at the centre of the penalty / no penalty incident:-
"He said that he gave the penalty and then he changed his mind. It is really frustrating. I think the linesman overturned his decision because the St Mirren players hounded the referee and the linesman and rightly so because they did not want a penalty against them.
"I don`t know if there was contact or not but Ryan (Williamson) is a very honest player. I have not spoken to him but it was pretty poor refereeing if he gives the penalty and then changes his mind.
"It is indecision again, they really have to be in contact with each other and maybe speak before he gives the penalty. I think that is what was frustrating for us.
"At the end of the day it is another defeat and we need points. On paper it is a defeat but first half was probably even Stevens. I thought we played pretty well and in the second half we were the better team.
"We can`t let the pack run away from us. St Mirren are a good side with good players and they were a threat. They had chances as well. I am not taking anything away from St. Mirren but we need to start picking up points.
"We do not want to be cut adrift from the pack because our objective is promotion. If we have to do it through the playoffs then so be it but we need to be in that pack. The only way to do that is to start picking up points but if we keep play like people saw today then the points will come. We did well today but it just wasn`t to be."
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