BOURNEMOUTH DEFENDER ADAM SMITH received an apology from referee Jon Moss after the full-back was denied a penalty and booked for diving in the first half of a 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Smith felt the home side should have had a spot kick when he was brought down by Sofiane Boufal, but Moss did not agree.
Instead the official showed Smith a yellow card for simulation, a decision that will see the 26-year-old serve a one-game suspension.
It could have made the difference for the Cherries after they were held to a 1-1 draw on Sunday, and Smith revealed Moss had subsequently acknowledged it should have been a penalty.
“In the changing room I think overall we’re disappointed,” he told Sky Sports. “We should have had a penalty in the first half too but there were a lot of positives to take away.
“I got to the ball just before him, jumped to go over it and he [Boufal] took me down.
“For the ref to book me doesn’t help because that’s my fifth yellow card of the season. I spoke to him after and he apologised and said it was a penalty.
I don’t mind him admitting it but the fact that he booked me and can’t get it rescinded, I’ll miss the next game. If we had got the penalty maybe we would have gone and scored another one. But we got a point and need to look forward now.”
Like Smith, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe was angry at the decision and criticised Moss for not awarding what he felt was a “stonewall” penalty.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he added: “It was a clear penalty. I felt it at the time. I could not believe what the referee did and to see it again makes you feel even worse, it’s one of the most stonewall penalties you will see all season.
“We also lose [Smith] to suspension, so it’s a huge blow. All he [Moss] can do is look at it and learn from it. I can’t ask for more than that.
“Everyone wants to see diving taken out of the game but maybe he was looking for it where it hadn’t happened.”
Reflecting on the point, Howe was able to find some positives, but was frustrated they let a lead slip.
“It was much better from us today,” he said. “Today we were good, Southampton were good too, there was no thought about settling for a point from either side.
“But we were disappointed, having taken the lead, not to hold on.”
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Ref apologizes yet booking will stand…
@Graham: what ya want Graham? He apologised and had the bollox to do so he’s human too. He hasn’t video replay only a split second to make up his mind. If fellas weren’t constantly diving or going down easy this probably wouldn’t have happened today. You never see the divers putting their hands up after the game to say they dived. Fair play to Moss.
@John Hayes: don’t think he was attacking the ref lad just saying why should the yellow card still stand if the ref admitted it was wrong
@John Barnes: I understand that John.
@John Hayes: saying nothing about the ref, fair play to him. But if he can admit the mistake, why can the booking not be rescinded? It’s plain stupid.
@Graham: who’s to say it won’t be rescinded?
@John Hayes: things can only change if the ref did not see something completely. He saw this, got it wrong, booked him, therefore cannot undo his report. This is were var would have helped.
@John Hayes: Agree.How many divers would be brave enough to admit they did it?None.Ref did the right thing, could gave kept quiet like players do.Gone up in my estimation….