Saints climb off the bottom but
ST JOHNSTONE are no longer at the foot of the Premiership table but a phantom penalty awarded by referee Steven McLean yesterday at Pittodrie left them wanting more.
Michael O’Halloran’s strike cancelled out Ryan Hedges’ opener for the Dons as the Perth side climbed above Hearts.
Yet a bizarre incident in the second period left everyone in attendance rather confused.
Matty Kennedy was tackled by Andrew Considine in the Aberdeen box and fell to the ground before immediately bouncing back to his feet. However, before he could even regain solid footing, McLean was pointing to the spot.
The Dons players were incensed and it took the intervention of linesman Graeme Stewart for the decision to change.
Saints boss Tommy Wright said: ‘I think there is contact on his left heel but he bounces straight back up. The only thing I’d say is the referee has the best view of the incident.
‘It’s rare that it is overturned but Derek (McInnes) believes it was the right decision — and I think there was contact.
‘That aside, our performance was excellent and we deserved more.
‘I’ve just been in to see the referee. He said he had some doubt in his mind but he gave it and it is his assistant who doesn’t give it.
‘Derek will say there is no contact but my players say there was contact and if there was, then it should have stood.’
Aberdeen almost took the lead in bizarre circumstances when Sam Cosgrove met Greg Leigh’s cross. The ball bounced off his head then his shoulder before appearing to strike Scott Tanser’s hand in the box — prompting calls for a penalty — and eventually clipped the post, rolling wide of goal.
On 28 minutes, just as the game was suffering from a lack of intensity, Hedges opened the scoring. It was concerted pressure from Aberdeen, attacking Saints’