FURIOUS Richie Foran believes better training may be the answer for Scotland’s referees afterseeing his team denied a stonewall penalty against Hamilton.
Inverness arrested a run of four straight defeats to climb off the bottom spot, with Larnell Cole’s second-half leveller claiming the point.
But Hamilton Accies – with a 10th draw of the season – kept up their happy record in the Highlands with Ali Crawford’s first-half free-kick enough to earn Martin Canning’s men a point.
It stretched the away team’s run of results in Inverness to just one defeat in nine league visits.
But Foran’s hosts were denied a clear penalty kick and red-card punishment when Daniel Seaborne seemed to deliberately handle a Lonsana Doumbouya header on the line in the first half.
Foran said: “The penalty decision then goes against us – a stonewall penalty. Not only does he [Seaborne] handle it, he pushes it with his hand and the referee is in probably the best position to see it.
“How he doesn’t give it, I just don’t know. The referee didn’t think it was a handball and then he didn’t think it was deliberate. But it’s blatant.
“Maybe it’s not the referees’ fault. Maybe it’s the coaching they’re getting, so I don’t want to put too much blame on them. We just want fair decisions.”
Foran told how the Highlanders had asked the SPFL for a postponement amid a goalkeeping injury crisis, but was informed he would have to play one of two 16-year-olds.
He said: “Besides the free-kick goal, which he apologised for, Owain [fon Williams] had a good game. He shouldn’t have been out there. He’s had acupuncture [on his back] for 48 hours and physios up to his house.
“He’s had injections and painkillers. He could have suffered a more serious injury playing today and we let him and we let him make the decision. There’s no way he wasn’t going to play today.
“He’s a brave man and he’s put his body on the line for us. It wasn’t ideal. We tried to cancel the game, but rules are rules and I’ve huge respect for the governing body.”
Accies took a 16th-minute lead when Jake Mulraney gave away a foul 30 yards out, outside the angle of the box. Ali Crawford, as he had done in nearby Dingwall a couple of weeks ago, swept a stunning free-kick past the startled Fon Williams at his near-post.
The Highlanders had cause for grievance as they were denied a clear penalty – and certain red card – after 33 minutes.
As Doumbouya aimed a close-range header at goal, Seaborne clearly raised his hand to prevent the ball hitting the net. Somehow, referee Greg Aitken waved the furious claims away.
The hosts were energised in the closing stages of the first half and were level in spectacular fashion after 51 minutes.
Jake Mulraney worked a one-two with Vigurs, who laid the ball into the path of Cole. The Englishman’s response was a the crispest of connections and a shot that screamed in off the underside of the bar.
It was a tough scrap to the death, but the spoils were shared.
Accies manager Martin Canning said: “That’s five draws in a row and you could almost script it. Ali Crawford scores and we draw. It seems to be a recurring theme.
“But we’ll take a point at a difficult place and move on, but it’s disappointing not to take three points.”
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