Buddies boss is left raging over red card

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin last night implied that Ross County forward Ross Stewart had feigned injury in order to have home defender Joe Shaughnessy dismissed in the 62nd minute.

Referee Mike Roncone, in charge of a Premiership match for the first time, took no action when Shaughnessy won the ball from Stewart, but fourth official Willie Collum advised the official that it was a red-card offence. Goodwin believes his team would have gone on to win had Shaughnessy remained on the field.

“We started the second half well and looked as though we were going to add to the goal we had but we couldn’t capitalise on some good play,” he said.

“Then we had the big talking point of the game – the decision which swings the game in Ross County’s favour.

“I haven’t had a chance to watch it back yet but my initial reaction was that it was a good, hard tackle. It was a fullblooded challenge from Joe, who isn’t a dirty or malicious player and certainly not one who’d be going in there to hurt an opponent.

“The referee seemed quite happy with the tackle because he waved play on, but the reaction of the Ross County player makes you fear the worst.

“I thought he’d had a real bad one and that he’d maybe broken his leg. I was fully expecting the stretcher to come out but he was able to get back up and play for the half an hour or so that was left with no limp, no nothing.

“That would suggest that the contact from Joe wasn’t that bad and that it didn’t merit that reaction. It was certainly the fourth official who made the call that it was a red card.

“We’ll have a look at it during the week and I’ll speak to Tony Fitzpatrick, our chief executive, and if we believe we have grounds for an appeal then we’ll certainly do that.

“Equally, if it turns out to be the correct decision, I’ll come out and say that as well. I’m not going to publicly have a go at referees but it wasn’t the referee who made the decision.” Goodwin had no problem with Collum baby-sitting the debutant. “Willie is our best official,” he said. “So, with a rookie referee, then it makes sense to have the most experienced referee there alongside him to talk him through it.”

Buddies boss Jim Goodwin