McPake fury as Ojo ‘handball’ goes unpunished

JAMES McPAKE believes the new handball rules should have given Dundee a potentially crucial early penalty yesterday. The Dark Blues did score from the spot after Andrew Considine fouled Jordon Forster just before half-time. But an earlier appeal for handball against Funso Ojo was waved away, despite the ball appearing to bounce up and hit the Aberdeen midfielder on the arm inside the penalty box. ‘It’s a handball,’ said McPake. ‘Yeah, the players think it was a penalty. If this new rule has come in, I can’t really believe anyone is asking if it’s handball. ‘I didn’t get an explanation (from referee Willie Collum), no. Fair play to (fourth official) Andrew Dallas, he was great. But no explanation, no. ‘I’m proud but I expect my team to be like that. I know these players, I signed them, so I know what they’re like. That type of performance has been coming for a while. ‘But I’m devastated for them and the fans. When you are a player and you put that much effort in, losing is hard.’ Dundee had chances to increase their lead in the first half but were left to rue what might have been. In truth, it was hard on the Championship side. ‘Over 90 minutes we deserved to win,’ continued McPake. ‘We had the chances, Danny Johnson also hit the post. ‘There was that stonewall penalty we didn’t get too, but we will analyse it again. ‘My players were excellent and deserved to win, and had we got the second goal we would have won the game. ‘We went more direct than we have been doing. They gave me everything, it’s all I can ask for.’ Dundee hope to sign Rangers striker Josh McPake today — and his namesake manager said: ‘I could have done with him today, instead of having to bring a centre-back on. ‘We’re short in that area, so he would be great to bring on. ‘But the board have backed me and if we can get the deal done for Josh, then great.’ Hitman Kane Hemmings was rested, McPake explaining: ‘Kano had a little niggle. We possibly could have asked him but I wasn’t going to do it. That’s why we have a squad. ‘Did we miss him? Any squad would but I wasn’t willing to risk losing him for six weeks for one game.’