THEY say honesty is the best policy, however Ross Callachan believes being true to himself cost St Johnstone a penalty against Aberdeen on Saturday and probably a win – but would change nothing about his approach in future.
Callachan, a recent arrival from Hearts, made his debut for Saints as a half-time substitute and could have had a spot-kick shortly after when Joe Lewis challenged him as he ran after David McMillan’s through ball. Callachan jumped over Lewis as the goalkeeper went to ground, rather than initiate contact.
Callachan revealed Willie Collum told him there was insufficient contact for a penalty, but the St Johnstone midfielder – whose side were 1-0 ahead at the time thanks to McMillan’s first-half header – said trying to stay on his feet worked against him, and queried whether the referee had sufficient footballing knowledge when making his decision.
“I think that’s the case,” said Callachan when asked if, as his manager Tommy Wright had said, he had been too honest.
“I’ve tried to stay on my feet. Because I’ve been going at a quick pace he’s clipped me and it’s hard to stay on your feet when you’re going that fast. Willie [Collum] said there’s not enough contact but when I’m going at that pace it’s really hard to stay on your feet. I’m quite an honest player so I try to stay up, but for me it’s a penalty.
“Willie’s not a football player so he won’t understand that, but that’s the thing. That’s the difference between being a player and being a referee. It’s hard being a referee, he’s got decisions to make and he’s made it. I’ve gone to jump over him but as I’ve jumped over him he’s clipped me so I couldn’t stay on my feet.”
Despite the lack of a penalty award, Callachan said he would change “nothing” about his approach if a similar situation occurred again.
“[I’d do] the exact same thing,” he added. “I would try and be honest. If I get round him, I’m scoring. What’s the point in going down?”
The 25-year-old added: “We could have gone 2-0 up at a big stage of the game that would have changed it in our favour.”
As it was, Niall McGinn curled home a delightfully-taken free-kick from the angle of the penalty area in the 69th minute to equalise for Aberdeen when it looked as if the more natural strike would be from Gary Mackay-Steven’s left foot.
In the culmination of a week in which Aberdeen expressed their dissatisfaction with Scottish officialdom, Mackay-Steven was adamant he should have been awarded a last-gasp penalty when felled by David Wotherspoon.
Referee Collum indicated the St Johnstone player won the ball.
“It’s difficult for the referee,” said McGinn. “The player has maybe kicked Gaz’s foot onto the ball and the referee has thought he’s made contact with the ball. It’s one of those ones you get or you don’t. Unfortunately we didn’t get it.”
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