SAMSON: I AM TO BLAME NOT ROO

CRAIG SAMSON refused to point a finger at Adam Rooney for indulging in some penalty-box dark arts during Aberdeen’s 3-1 win at Motherwell on Friday night.

The Fir Park keeper was judged by ref Bobby Madden to have clipped the Dons striker in the first half of a controversial clash which became a tale of two spot-kicks.

Contact appeared minimal and despite Samson saving Rooney’s spot kick, the Irishman followed up to ram home the rebound.

But Samson admits he only had himself to blame for allowing a Kenny McLean shot in the build-up to spill from his grasp.

He said: “Rooney kicked me and played for it but I gave him the chance to do it by dropping the ball so I can’t complain.

“There was contact but I felt he made it with me rather than the other way around. But it’s what strikers do. They’ll try to get the penalty and win them the game.

“But it was disappointing to save the penalty then lose a goal from the rebound.”

To compound the incident, Louis Moult failed to net a penalty after Mark Reynolds was penalised for a foul on Keith Lasley at 2-1.

Samson added: “That’s football. It didn’t go for me but Joe Lewis saved the penalty for Aberdeen and we couldn’t get the rebound.”

Well now sit one point off the foot of the table with a game in hand and aim to end a five-match winless league run when they travel to Inverness on Wednesday.

Samson added: “It’s a pity we didn’t get something from the Dons game but we just have to recover and be ready to go for Inverness on Wednesday.”