SHAMROCK ROVERS MANAGER Stephen Bradley hit out at the decision to award a late penalty against his side in tonight’s key Premier Division clash at the Brandywell.
Bradley saw his team ahead 1-0 in injury-time when referee Damien MacGraith awarded a penalty for what he perceived to be a foul on Derry City’s Patrick McEleney.
Patrick Hoban netted from the spot to secure a draw for Derry City, a goal that could prove crucial in the destination of the title.
“I think it’s disgraceful,” Bradley told RTÉ afterwards.
“Really, really disgraceful decision from the referee. He’s ruined what was a really good performance. Yeah, it’s awful. A terrible decision.
“Well I’ve seen it back a lot, he hasn’t touched him. He literally hasn’t touched him. The key is all the Derry players are coming off and telling you there was no contact, he’s dived. Patrick himself is telling you there was no contact.
“In a game like that you have to be 100% sure. There’s no way you can be sure there, it’s an awful decision.”
Derry City 1-1 Shamrock Rovers
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 20, 2024
"It's a really disgraceful decision from the referee. He's so poor. He literally hasn't touched him." - Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley was appalled by the late penalty call against his side
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RTÉ pundit Conan Byrne criticised McEleney for his role in the incident.
“I’m going to focus on Patrick McEleney, it’s an absolute disgrace of a player of his calibre going down like that in the box for his team to gain an advantage is absolutely disgraceful. My blood is boiling here. As a former player, as a competitor, as a sportsperson, to see somebody go down like that in the box, it’s just not on.”
Derry City 1-1 Shamrock Rovers
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 20, 2024
"It's an absolute disgrace" - Conan Byrne was scathing of Patrick McEleney after the Derry man won a very soft penalty
📱 #LOI reports: https://t.co/wsKSdFw5Xc pic.twitter.com/S0VDdOml94
Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins insisted his team should have been awarded an earlier penalty, when it was put to him that RTÉ pundits had been critical of the decision to award the late spot kick.
“Well I hope they mentioned the one, the stonewall penalty that was turned down before, I hope they made as much comments about that.
“But you don’t normally find that when Dublin clubs are involved. Whether it was a penalty or it wasn’t, he’s given it and there should have been one before that, so we deserved to get a penalty.
“I would love VAR because…ah listen, in my own opinion, I would love VAR.”
Derry City 1-1 Shamrock Rovers
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 20, 2024
Candystripes manager Ruaidhri Higgins felt the penalty decisions evened themselves out over the course of the game as his side secured a big point late on
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