‘Comical’ no-goal call frustrates McDonald

FURIOUS Scott McDonald savaged dithering duo John Beaton and Ross Haswell for their failure to award his ‘goal’ against Dundee. The striker’s cross was caught by Dundee goalkeeper David Mitchell, who then stumbled over the line while holding the ball (pictured). Away boss Mark McGhee and his bench were incensed when referee Beaton waved play on, while McDonald claimed his assistant Haswell bore the look of a man who had just seen someone being killed. The incident happened at 0-0 in a match Motherwell lost 2-0 at Dens Park, to sit one point off the bottom of the Premiership. And the irate Aussie warned the officials that their failure to do their jobs could prove so costly for the Fir Park side. McDonald said: ‘It wouldn’t have been controversial if somebody had wanted to make a decision. But both of them didn’t, which isn’t good enough. ‘If you are a referee or a linesman and you are put on the spot, then you are in that job for a reason — to make a decision. ‘Even the Dundee players were saying it was in. But when I looked at the linesman, the look on his face was as if someone had just been killed. ‘He didn’t want to make a decision — it’s embarrassing. ‘The referee told us he thought it was in from where he was standing but the linesman didn’t give him a decision. ‘Well, if he doesn’t make the decision, then the referee has to. It’s comical. ‘They won’t like it because I am criticising them but if you are not going to make a decision, then you are going to be criticised. It’s as simple as that. ‘These things could really cost you. I hope not because I believe we have enough quality not to be worrying about relegation.’ McDonald admits he has sympathy for Scottish officials because, unlike their counterparts in England, they don’t have the benefit of goalline technology. But in an outburst that could see him hauled up before the SFA, he criticised match officials for a culture of making ‘safe decisions’. ‘We don’t have goal-line technology in Scotland and we can’t afford it, so there’s no point talking about it,’ he said. ‘You have to hope they level themselves out over the course of the season. ‘So, I really don’t want to hang referees out to dry. They haven’t got the technology so you have to feel for them, but I do feel aggrieved because they don’t want to make decisions. ‘They are more worried if you go through and score so they flag right away and it happens time and time again. It is a negative thought-process of: “I’m better off not giving it than giving it”.’