DYER WARNING
Controversial penalty call cranks up the anger level of Kilmarnock’s manager
NOT even an immaculate jacket and waistcoast with neatly-knotted club tie could disguise Alex Dyer’s hang-dog air when he emerged from the dressing room after combing through the debris of this one.
Outraged by an SPFL tribunal decision that forced the Ayrshire club to forfeit their postponed October meeting with Motherwell because of breaches of Covid-19 guidelines and robbed of a host of players through illness and injury, he was frustrated yesterday by big calls from referee Willie Collum.
Dyer had no complaints over the expulsion of defender Clevid Dikamona in the first half for a stupid challenge on Scott Martin, but the same could not be said over Collum’s decision to award a 73rd-minute penalty to Accies that allowed Ross Callachan to give them their first home win this term.
From a distance, it looked like Brandon Haunstrup did handle a ball into the area from Callachan prior to the award. However, nine minutes before the half-time interval, Callum Smith appeared to do the same to a cross from Kilmarnock wide man Mitch Pinnock — and that’s what left Dyer particularly aggrieved.
‘It was disappointing, like the rest of the week,’ he said.
‘The penalty decision was harsh because we had one in the first half that was exactly the same but he didn’t give it.
‘The ball came in from Pinnock and it hit the arm. It was exactly the same in the second half with our one but he gave them one and not us. It is not fair but you can’t talk to them because if I say anything I will get fined or I will get disciplined.’
Only able to name six players on the bench, Dikamona certainly gave Dyer’s Killie a mountain to climb after a promising start, when he was given his marching orders just before the half-hour mark.
It was hard to argue. His tackle on Martin in his own half was two-footed and quite needless.
‘It was a sending-off because he showed his studs,’ conceded Dyer. ‘He got the ball but he jumped in a bit and you can’t do that.
‘If we’d come away with a point, we would have been happy, but we didn’t and that’s down to the ref.’
Despite Dikamona’s red card, the Ayrshire outfit came close when a free-kick from Pinnock was cleared to Nicke Kabamba on the edge of the area and his instinctive effort flashed just over the crossbar.
Killie then had their loud claims for a penalty ignored before another moment of controversy.
Accies wing-back Scott McMann was forced to walk off into the technical area for treatment on a cut under his right eye just six minutes before the interval.
Home captain Brian Easton indicated to Collum that it had been the result of an elbow from an opposition player with Martin saying the same to linesman Frank Connor during the break in play. No action was taken, though.
Nathan Thomas, thrown on for Lee Hodson, forced visiting goalkeeper Danny Rogers into action early in the second half when he released a powerful drive that had to be parried to safety.
The substitute set up Martin for a chance midway through the second 45 that he poked just wide before his side finally converted from the spot after Callachan’s attempted ball into the area was adjudged to have struck Haunstrup’s hand.
Callachan put his effort from the 12-yard mark straight down the middle and into the net as Rogers dived to his left.
‘I didn’t really see the penalty decision. It happened that quickly,’ said Accies manager Brian Rice.
‘We have had penalty decisions go against us and red cards go against us. I don’t argue with them.
‘It is good to be off the bottom. It is a big psychological boost.’
HAMILTON (3-5-1-1): Fulton; Stirling, A Martin, Easton; Hodson (Thomas 54), Callachan, S Martin, Odoffin, McMann; Smith (Owolabi 62); Moyo. Subs (not used): Gourlay, Hamilton, Trafford, Hughes, Mimnaugh, Winter, Munro. Booked: Fulton, Stirling, Owolabi. KILMARNOCK (4-4-2): Rogers; McGowan, Broadfoot, Dikamona, Haunstrup; Pinnock, Tshibola, Power; Kiltie (Whitehall 84); Brophy, Kabamba.
Subs (not used): Doyle, McKenzie, Waters, Mulumbu, Booked: McGowan, Haunstrup.
Referee: Willie Collum.