Shotts boss John McKeown says Bonnyton Thistle manager Ross Wilson admitted they ‘got away with one’ with a controversial equaliser in their 2-1 win – but doesn’t want it to look like sour grapes.
McKeown was left seething when Kyle McAvoy appeared to punch the ball into the net, levelling Taylor Evans’ first-minute opener, and Thistle went on to win the game with a strike by Stewart Davidson.
The Shotts boss says there were a few odd decisions made by referee Andrew Bryson, but doesn’t want to point the finger at the whistler.
And he says Shotts are in a dog-fight in the West of Scotland League First Division, as they host pace-setters Kilbirnie Ladeside this weekend.
McKeown said: “I’m really frustrated by it all and I don’t think that was the only decision that was baffling throughout the game.
“But I hate blaming referees – it just looks like sour grapes.
“You can see it yourself and it’s strange, but it’s something we just have to take on the chin, move on, and try to get some results on the board, because we’re struggling for consistency.
“It doesn’t help, because you’re down there in a dog-fight and we’re really struggling with injuries.
“I’ve never known a period like it in my career, we’re really having to weather a storm just now.
“I’ve had five or six starters missing in nearly every game, and it’s just hard to get a settled team. We’re really struggling to cope with it, and it’s major players just now.
“We’re really toiling, so the last thing you need is luck going against you – and the referee’s decisions as well.”
McKeown added: “We were 1-0 ahead at that point and had missed a couple of chances to extend our lead, although I did feel as if Bonnyton were coming back into the game.
“They were putting us under a bit of pressure with set-pieces, long throws and Ross Wilson, their manager, is a mate of mine.
“I was speaking to him this morning and he was saying the same – it was a baffling decision for the goal and they got away with one.
“However, over the course of the season I think they’ve been done by a few of those decisions, so it does even itself out.
“But from a manager’s point of view, and a player’s point of view, it’s so frustrating when it’s controversial circumstances like that.
“We know the referees and officials have hard jobs, because they don’t have linesmen, but he’s five yards away from it, which makes it even more difficult.
“Throughout the game there were loads of other incidents that I don’t want to go into, but there were a few that raised eyebrows.”
McKeown says there’s a lot of hard work ahead of Shotts, and said: “Kilbirnie are setting the pace, so it’s going to be a tough ask and we know that – they’re the league-leaders and rightly so.
“They’re doing well and we don’t have our problems to seek just now, selection-wise.
“But like I say, we just need to ride the storm just now, get through it and stick together.
“We can look for excuses, or knuckle down and work hard.”
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