St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean is adamant that the referee in his side’s clash with Livingston got the game-changing penalty award wrong at McDiarmid Park.
And Graham Grainger’s post-match explanation merely added to the Perth boss’s sense of injustice.
With Saints a goal up and on top in the Premiership contest, Liam Gordon was punished for a foul on Joel Nouble as the pair chased a ball that was a long way from the danger area.
MacLean admitted that his captain was “naïve” in getting close to the Livi forward.
But his chief source of dismay was the man who pointed to the spot, presenting Sean Kelly with his opportunity to level the scores.
“I think Liam is naïve,” said MacLean. “He thinks he can win it. But I don’t think it’s a penalty.
57’ Saints 1 – 1 Livingston
Sean Kelly scores from the spot, following a VAR check as Joel Nouble is challenged in the box#SJFCLive #CinchPremiership
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) September 30, 2023
“I’ve watched it back and I’ve spoken to the referee.
“He says he’s impeded him and has done that motion (arms around).
“Then he said he’d need to see it back, so take from that what you want.
“His reasoning doesn’t suggest it’s a penalty.
“The ball is going out of play. Liam shouldn’t go near him because the ball is going out of the pitch.
“But the ref is 35 yards away looking through Sven (Sprangler). I don’t know how he can give the penalty.”
Red card thoughts
MacLean also questioned the VAR ordering off of Gordon late in the game, when a tackle not deemed worthy of a yellow was upgraded to a straight red.
“I saw it from a wide angle,” he said.
“It doesn’t look like a red but I need to see the stills because that’s what they go on these days, isn’t it?
“So I’ve not seen the VAR footage. It looked like a proper, hard tackle.”
MacLean switched formation to three at the back and he was happy with the platform it gave his team in the game.
“I thought our shape was good,” he said. “We were looking comfortable.
“I went with a three, two strikers, two attacking wing-backs, two sitters and one in behind.
“The shape was positive.
“We should’ve come in at half-time two or three up.
“Jephs (Luke Jephcott) had a chance. I think Daz (Dara Costelloe) blocks it. Then Daz has another good opportunity. There were a lot of positives there.
“For the goal, we’d worked on getting Daz down the side there. He’s got pace and is direct. I was happy with him. Hopefully he can go on a wee run now.
“They were sending the big lads up and throwing balls into the box but I still don’t think Livingston had a clear cut chance later on.
“We lick our wounds and go again. It’s not what we wanted but sometimes things are out of your control.”
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