FURIOUS Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has panned referee Craig Napier for the penalty call that he says ‘snatched two points’ from his side against St Mirren at Tannadice.
United were a goal to the good when Curtis Main tumbled to the ground inside the area under close attention from Loick Ayina, and after a lengthy VAR check match official Napier stood by his original decision to award the spot-kick, which Mark O’Hara converted to earn the Saints a point.
But Goodwin says there was no contact whatsoever between the players, feeling his men had been robbed of a crucial win.
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"We started so well and got the goal with some real quality from Steven,” Goodwin said.
"I couldn't have been any happier at half time, but I knew there would be a reaction.
"The big frustration for me comes from the equaliser. The penalty is so soft, and I am finding it very hard to bite my tongue, especially with the benefit of VAR.
"It is so soft. I have seen a couple of angles and I can't see any contact. My centre half has hardly touched the St Mirren centre forward.
“To lose two points to that penalty award is a bitter pill to swallow. I feel two points have been snatched away from us.
"We are down there fighting for our lives and those two points would have been massive for us. To lose that goal in that manner is extremely hard to take.”
Goodwin stopped short of calling out his former striker Main for diving, but only just.
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"The fact they took so long checking it, to try and find contact and justify the ref's decision, tells you everything you need to know,” he said.
"I have seen two angles and I am struggling to see anything. It's not a penalty.
"If we are giving penalties for that minimal, if any contact, there will be three or four a game. That has huge significance for us.
"The St Mirren striker nips in front of my player and it looks like he throws himself to the ground. People will say it's clever but with VAR we shouldn't getting those wrong.
"It has really cost us today.”
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