SPOT OF BOTHER
McPake rages at ref over penalty call that ‘robbed’ side of win
DUNDEE boss James McPake hit out at referee Craig Napier and claimed his team were ‘robbed’ of victory in their first match back in the Premiership.
The Dens Park side had responded in the first half to Eamonn Brophy’s early strike thanks to Joe Shaughnessy’s own goal before St Mirren were awarded a controversial penalty just after the break when Jay Henderson tumbled under a challenge from Jason Cummings.
Dundee raged at the decision, claiming the Buddies youngster had made the most of the challenge and Jamie McGrath put the visitors 2-1 ahead.
McPake’s men quickly levelled thanks to Cummings but they had to see out the final 21 minutes with 10 men after Max Anderson was sent off for wiping out Brophy.
But after Dundee sealed a point in their opening game in the top tier following promotion from the Championship, McPake — who confirmed striker Danny Mullen had been taken to hospital with a broken fibula — took aim at Napier, who dished out five yellow cards.
‘I’ve seen it, I’ve seen the angle that everyone will see and I’ve seen the angle from behind the goal. It’s not a penalty,’ said McPake.
‘I thought the referee wasn’t great. His fourth official wasn’t great. I’m not here to bash officials. I give them credit when credit is due and I have a very open and good relationship with Crawford Allan (SFA head of referees), who is fantastic, and he always speaks to you and goes over decisions.
‘But we’re in the Premiership now. The Championship matters but we’re now in a league where, financially, for those players and those fans they were robbed of a win today with that penalty.
‘Let’s not make it the referee show as I don’t think he deserves it. I don’t think he’s a good enough referee to have the referee show.
‘I believe it’s his 11th or 12th Premiership game and I thought we would see a difference in the Premiership but we didn’t.’
The default position for any newly-promoted team is to talk of the obvious step-up in quality. How disappointing for Dundee, then, that a punt up the park caught them out after just four minutes.
Jak Alnwick hoofed the ball up, Curtis Main flicked it on and Brophy hammered a shot into the bottom-left corner. That old trick?
The manager’s mood soon worsened when striker Mullen fell awkwardly after a high ball. The medical staff rightly took their time before he was stretchered off, with Cummings his replacement.
Dundee’s injury woes continued when Christie Elliott limped off and was replaced by Ryan Sweeney for his debut.
There was final twist at the end of the first half when the hosts equalised. Paul McMullan’s corner was met by Shaughnessy, who headed into his own net. Dundee skipper Charlie Adam was then booked for celebrating in front of him.
The drama continued after the break when St Mirren were awarded a penalty. Henderson fell to ground under a challenge by Cummings, who clearly felt the Buddies youngster tumbled far too easily and was booked for confronting him.
Given in-demand McGrath scored 10 penalties last season, the result was never in doubt as he converted.
But back came Dundee — and it had to be Cummings, didn’t it? Anderson fed the ball on the left to Jordan Marshall, whose brilliant cross was swept home first time by the striker.
Napier soon had McPake in his sights and flashed a yellow card to the Dundee boss on the sidelines.
The hosts’ hard work was undone when Anderson saw red on 69 minutes. Brophy began a charge upfield from inside his own half after Dundee had misjudged a high ball and the midfielder inexplicably wiped out the St Mirren striker.
‘I don’t know the rule, if I’m honest,’ said McPake. ‘I don’t know what he has given it for.
‘I’ll back my player the same way I won’t hammer the St Mirren player (Henderson). He’s doing what he thinks is best for his team, he’s played for the penalty.
‘He’s a young kid in his career but so is Max, so I’ll back him all the way.
‘I’ve had Max since he was 14 and you get these kids coming through and it’s all nicey nicey. They need to know when there’s a time to stop the game.
‘Maybe Max was too eager to do that. But I’ve seen it back as well and if a professional foul is a red card, then it’s a red card. If a professional foul isn’t a red card, then I don’t know.’
Reflecting on the penalty, Saints boss Jim Goodwin said: ‘The game has gone soft. James told me he was disappointed and if the shoe was on the other foot, I’d have probably felt the same.
‘But when I watched it back, there is a coming together. It’s very clumsy and Cummings doesn’t mean it, but Henderson gets ball-side and there is a tangle of legs.
‘Cummings also puts his hand on Henderson’s shoulder and, in the modern game, it is a penalty.’