A poor decision

St Mirren manager Jack Ross was left baffled by referee Craig Charleston’s failure not to award Saints a free-kick in the build-up to Dundee United’s opener on Saturday.

Saints raged after Thomas Mikkelson clearly studded Gary MacKenzie in the hip before firing home the first goal of an all-action affair.

The St Mirren defence waited for the whistle for a free-kick but it never came as the bench questioned the referee in disbelief.

Ross could only water down his thoughts as he spoke to the press but he was clearly aggrieved by Charleston’s decision.

He said:“Dundee United’s goal is a mistake by the referee. I know I sound like I’m putting it into simple terms but that’s the reality of it.

“It’s not just what I saw with the naked eye at the time.

“I think you have to be fair about it and I’ve watched it back and I think it is possible that the match officials are the only people in the entire stadium who don’t think it was a free-kick.

“I’m was expecting the foul to come. But, in a strange way, I think it helps the finish because I think Mikkelson believed it was a free-kick too and he probably relaxed and smashed at it, thinking he was going to be pulled back.

“I might be doing him a disservice, and I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but it’s a poor decision.”