Foran’s spot of frustration after penalty decision
INVERNESS manager Richie Foran displayed considerable restraint after a controversial decision by referee Greg Aitken in yesterday’s home draw with Hamilton.
The official tested Foran’s patience by denying Caley Thistle a penalty in the 33rd minute when Daniel Seaborne clearly deliberately handled the ball to prevent Lonsana Doumbouya’s header from crossing the line.
The referee decided the offence was accidental, believing the ball struck the defender, thus denying Inverness a penalty and sparing Seaborne a red card.
The incident followed a refusal by the SPFL to grant Inverness a postponement on the grounds that first-choice goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams and understudy Ryan Esson were both injured.
They instructed the club to field an untried youngster if necessary, though Fon Williams declared himself fit enough to play despite being hampered by a back problem.
After four consecutive defeats, Inverness’ reluctance to proceed with the fixture was understandable.
But at least Larnell Cole’s second-half equaliser after Ali Crawford had fired Hamilton in front in the 16th minute with a free-kick from 30 yards arrested the home side’s losing streak.
‘It was a stonewall penalty,’ declared Foran. ‘Not only did their player handle the ball, he also pushed it with his hand and the referee was in probably the best position to see it.
‘We are not getting those decisions at the moment and it’s disappointing. How the referee doesn’t give it, I just don’t know. It was blatant.
‘But I don’t want to say too much. Every week I’m complaining about decisions and maybe it’s not the referees’ fault. Maybe it’s the coaching they’re getting.
‘We just want fair decisions. But they say they even themselves out over the course of the season, so maybe our time will come.’
Foran revealed that Fon Williams had apologised for what he felt to be an individual mistake, but he added: ‘Owen shouldn’t even have been on the park.
‘He had acupuncture and the physios visited him at home. He also had injections and painkillers, and could have suffered more serious injury playing — but it was his decision.
‘We tried to cancel the game, but rules are rules and I have huge respect for the governing body. But we just wanted a bit of help as we were really struggling.
‘They wanted us to play one of our two 16-year-olds, who have never even trained with us. But I have a duty of care to young players and that was never going to happen, as the experience could have ruined a young player.’
The result was enough to lift Inverness off the bottom of the table, but they will surely feel that this was a missed opportunity rather than a point gained against opponents who have acquired a reputation as draw specialist.
Accies have now shared the points in 10 of their 16 Premiership fixtures.
The hosts created the majority of chances but Doumbouya, Greg Tansey, Ross Draper and Cole failed to make the most of them.
That said, Crawford has become something of a set-piece specialist after also scoring from a free-kick against Ross County on Hamilton’s previous visit to the Highlands.
Referring to a run of five straight draws, away boss Martin Canning added: ‘It seems to be a recurring theme. But we’ll take a point at a difficult place and move on.
‘We haven’t lost a lot of games but we must start picking up wins.’