Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers were "hampered" by a poor refereeing performance at Accrington Stanley, with the hosts' opener in a 2-0 defeat at the Wham Stadium the produce of a "blatant" handball.
In a game short of quality, Accrington scored early in the second half through Tommy Leigh and referee Tom Nield allowed it to stand despite the ball clearly striking the hand of Harvey Rodgers immediately before substitute Leigh hit the back of the net.
In wet and windy conditions and with neither side finding a consistent flow, it was always likely to prove decisive and the Gas could not make any inroads at the other end, with Ryan Astley's clever flick sealing the three points with 11 minutes to play.
