Motherwell boss Robinson hits out at "ridiculous decision" in Dundee loss
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson was incensed after his side were denied a goal in their costly 3-2 defeat by Neil McCann's Dundee.
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson was incensed after his side were denied a goal in their costly 3-2 defeat by Neil McCann's Dundee.
Video footage showed Tom Hateley's feet were inside the goal when the former Motherwell player cleared Ben Heneghan's header with the score at 3-1 at Fir Park.
Motherwell feel they were denied goals in similar circumstances against Dundee and Hamilton earlier in the season, although they got the benefit of the doubt against Inverness two weeks ago.
Although goal-line technology has been deemed too expensive in Scotland, Robinson feels referees need other assistance.
“We have played well, we have lost the game and we have lost a point based on a ridiculous decision again,” said Robinson, whose team fell into the Premiership danger zone.
“It cannot keep happening at this level, it's too big a game, it's too big a circumstance to get this wrong continually. Steven McLean gets no help from the other side of the pitch. It's a disgrace, an absolute disgrace.
“They need help, they are human and they make mistakes, and we made mistakes at our goals that also contributed. I am well aware people make mistakes, but it just can't happen at this level.”
Referee McLean and assistant Anthony Cooper may have been unsighted when Hateley cleared following a corner, but Robinson claims fourth official Steven Kirkland agreed with his own assessment.
“He thought it was in,” Robinson said. “Why they are there I don't know, because they seem to only pull people up for arguing on the sidelines.
“People lose their jobs over decisions like this, that's two decisions against Dundee.
“I could see by Neil's reaction afterwards there was a bit of relief when he turned around when he played on. I think everybody in the stadium knew it was a goal.
“This is the top league, there are massive audiences and livelihoods at stake and they have to change it. Otherwise that becomes a laughing stock, that decision.
“How long does it take in modern technology? It took me 20 seconds after the game to produce it. At no stage did his feet go over the line so I'm not sure how the ball can't be over the line.
“It's not a personal attack on the referee, but it's such a massive decision to get wrong and it has happened three times.”
Motherwell dominated possession in the first half as Dundee sat deep, but did not do enough with it and Mark O'Hara gave the visitors the lead seconds before half-time.
Marcus Haber netted from close range and O'Hara's header went in off the Canada striker to make it 3-1 after Louis Moult had pulled one back.
And Dundee held on after Chris Cadden's 80th-minute goal to give McCann a winning start after he was brought in to stem a seven-game losing run.
McCann said: “I'm so proud of them. I know at times we came under pressure, but I was comfortable, I trusted them.
“We were just a wee bit deep, but that's natural, we had lost seven games in a row. But I can't tell you how happy I am for them, because they gave everything.
“The most important thing for me was to stop the bleeding, to stop the defeats, and with that you sacrifice a wee bit of what you have got going forward. But we worked on a game plan that we would almost become a wee bit of a counter-attacking team. Just today, get the first game under our belts.
“And we had players in the right positions who could affect it.”