EQUALISER WAS A KELL’ OF A BLOW!
VINNY PERTH has admitted that Georgie Kelly’s last- gasp equaliser has put a huge dent in Dundalk’s already slim prospects of securing European qualification through the league.
Had the Lilywhites held on at Dalymount Park last Friday, they’d have moved to within five points of thirdplaced Sligo Rovers.
Bizarrely, and indicating just how tight things are this year outside of runaway leaders Shamrock Rovers and basement boys Longford Town, they would also have been five points above the relegation play- off spot.
As it stands, just three points separate Dundalk and second- from bottom Waterford.
Perth said: “That was our goal coming here, we felt the win would be huge, that it would give us something to build on for the last five or six games.
“That was the mindset in the dressing room.
“We had to ride our luck a little bit, there is no doubt about it.
“We had two or three big chances to seal the game, and three or four really good counterattacks where our final pass let us down.”
Dundalk conceded in injury- time when Kelly scored from the penalty spot, after referee
Damien MacGraith overruled his original decision to award a free AGAINST Ali Coote, after consulting with his assistant Darragh Keegan.
He then decided that it was Daniel Cleary’s infringement and pointed to the spot.
Perth picked up a yellow card after he questioned the decision.
Appeal
“I just said, ‘Why did you let the linesman overrule you?’, no bad language, no nothing, and he just throws a yellow card,” he said.
“That’s the new way of doing it, it doesn’t make sense, but it’s not good. We all appeal for stuff, it’s part of football.”
After the final whistle, the Dundalk boss went to seek clarification over his booking.
“Daniel Cleary has a gash of maybe six or seven inches on his shin from the tackle,” he said.
“I’m disappointed, I tried to speak to the ref and maybe I’m too emotional, but throwing yellow cards around at managers is just bizarre.
“Do you think we are not going to appeal for decisions?
“I went in and asked him about the booking, not about the penalty decision, and it was just, ‘get out’.”