Brechin City head coach Ray McKinnon launched a scathing verbal attack on referee Stephen Finnie after his side’s draw in Greenock on Saturday.
Finnie awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time to deny the Glebe Park men all three points and a win which would surge them right into the title race.
City led by two at the interval with goals by Andy Jackson and Jamie Masson after a stunning first period, and had Alan Trouten been more clinical with his finishing, the Angus side would have been completely out of sight by the interval.
Trouten passed up two astonishing opportunities.
McKinnon’s side extended their unbeaten run to nine matches but the seething Brechin boss said: “I’m disappointed at the end result. I never say anything about referees, but that was embarrassing. Paul McLean had been pushed and was falling back when he handled it. For me it was a weak decision by the referee.”
City scored two goals in eight minutes during the first half. After just 10 minutes Kyle McAusland got in behind the static Ton defence on the left and his cut-back to Andy Jackson was crashed high into the empty net from six yards.
Jim Duffy’s men should have gone two down in 17 minutes when McLean and Bobby Barr combined to set up Trouten, but he somehow scooped the ball over from six yards.
City were ripping the Ton defence apart at will and netted a second in 18 minutes when McAusland squared the ball for Masson to race through on the right and lash the ball high past goalkeeper Derek Gaston from 15 yards.
Masson turned provider in 32 minutes to put Trouten through on the left. The striker held off a challenge from Stefan Milojevic, but amazingly shot wide of the far post.
Morton pulled a goal back after 64 minutes when Jamie McCluskey drilled a low drive under goalkeeper Graeme Smith and one minute into injury time City defender McLean was alleged to have handled an Andy Barrowman head flick by referee Finnie and Declan McManus rammed home the controversial spot-kick.