VIDEO: Big decisions went against Sky Blues - Ferguson

Ballymena United manager Glenn Ferguson felt that key decisions went against his side in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Portadown.
Portadown's Emmett Friars and Ballymena's David Cushley during Saturday's match at Shamrock ParkPortadown's Emmett Friars and Ballymena's David Cushley during Saturday's match at Shamrock Park
Portadown's Emmett Friars and Ballymena's David Cushley during Saturday's match at Shamrock Park

The Sky Blues boss felt aggrieved that his side didn’t claim any points after a battling performance on a mudbath of a Shamrock Park pitch.

Ferguson raised question marks over a possible handball in the build-up to Sean Mackle’s winning goal and the decision to chalk off Michael McLellan’s late equaliser after the referee’s assistant deemed Darren Boyce to have been offside in the build-up.

“Both sets of players deserve a lot of credit for even trying to put on a performance,” said Ferguson.

Portadown's Emmett Friars and Ballymena's David Cushley during Saturday's match at Shamrock ParkPortadown's Emmett Friars and Ballymena's David Cushley during Saturday's match at Shamrock Park
Portadown's Emmett Friars and Ballymena's David Cushley during Saturday's match at Shamrock Park

“On another day it would have been called off but today the referee has deemed it playable.

“I don’t like berating referees or officials but for the goal, Gary Twigg has definitely handled the ball but the referee has played on.

“For our ‘goal’ Darren Boyce is adamant that he made his run in behind, albeit he is in an offside position when he received it but he was onside when the ball was played, which is the laws of the game.

“He has then played the ball back to Michael McLellan who can’t be offside so I felt we had a perfectly good goal ruled out.

“The linesman has to be very sure. I asked him after the match who was offside and he said he didn’t know the number (of the player).

“Sometimes linesmen follow the flight of the ball and when the player receives it, he looks offside.

“But if a player is intelligent and makes a good run, he gets himself into an onside position.

“We had another couple of opportunities, Gary Thompson got himself in the box and he’s wriggled away. The referee should have played advantage but the referee blew for a free kick outside the box.

“I can’t fault the boys at all for their effort and I thought we should have got something out of the game.

“Unfortunately big decisions have cost us at least a point,” added Ferguson.

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