Joey Barton believes the big decisions of referee Tom Reeves played a decisive role in 10-man Bristol Rovers' 1-0 defeat to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on Saturday.
The Gas manager described the feeling as "soul-destroying" as he reflected on a contest that swung on a pair of first-half calls. The first was to allow Regan Poole's 14th-minute header despite James Connolly being left on the deck in the box, with Barton certain his defender had been fouled.
Three minutes before the break, the challenge was made even more difficult for the Gas when Ryan Loft was shown a straight red card for violent conduct after colliding with goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, but Rovers intend to appeal and believe the footage supports their case.
After making changes at the interval, Rovers hung in there and created moments of pressure and danger late on, with stand-in skipper Aaron Collins and Harry Anderson seeing penalty shouts turned down before time was called on the contest.
The defeat, their fourth in succession, dropped Rovers to 14th in the League One table ahead of Tuesday's clash with Ipswich Town at the Mem.
"It’s tough," Barton admitted. "The goal we conceded is a foul, not that anyone will care because we’ve lost the game of football. It’s a rugby tackle in the box and where the ball was put in was where James Connolly would have been had he not been pulled to the ground.
"The official misses it and to compound it, we go up the other end. I don’t know what Lofty is doing, he’s saying he’s just trying to protect himself with the keeper coming out.
"The linesman, who is far away as anybody on the opposite side, decides it’s a swinging elbow and they have dismissed him for what must be violent conduct. We’ve got a few different angles that show the contact that was made, which was minimal if any, and we’ll appeal that instantly because we’ll need to if we want him available for Tuesday night.
"We’ll also be sending a few clips. MK did it do us the other day with Sam Finley’s retrospective ban, and there is an elbow in there from (Lewis) Montsma which is beyond the threshold for me. That’s why our players were aggrieved, but nothing given. The linesman misses it and it’s really frustrating.
"I think we had two (penalties not given). Aaron thinks it is and Harry thinks it could have been, but we were never going to get anything off the geezer today.
"Again, it’s soul-destroying. You will text Mike Jones (head of EFL referees) and the PGMOL will send their written reasons back."
Despite the result and his frustration, Barton took pride from his players' efforts despite being a man down for most of the game.
"Unfortunately we’re four defeats on the spin and we have nothing to show for it apart from the character and spirit which was shown by a really young group today," he said.
"That will stand us in good stead. I have seen loads of things I am really proud of from my players today. I cannot fault them today and we’ll be better for that."
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