Ross County manager understands why Kilmarnock boss was left aggrieved after defeat
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MANAGER Malky Mackay says he can understand why Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes felt aggrieved by disallowing a goal to award a penalty instead.
Kilmarnock thought they had snatched a point when Stuart Findlay nodded the ball in the net in the dying minutes of the match.
But referee Nick Clancy disallowed the goal as he had blown his whistle to award Kilmarnock a penalty after Josh Reid pulled Findlay's shirt before he nodded the ball into the net.
Goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw then saved Daniel Armstrong's penalty as Ross County held on for victory at Rugby Park.
McInnes felt play should have been allowed to be completed before the whistle was blown and that the goal should have stood.
Mackay says he understood why McInnes was annoyed by the decision, but accepted the decision by the officials was correct.
"I spoke to the fourth official Craig Napier who says the referee blows clear and early.
"He blew the moment Josh Reid pulled his shirt and it was a penalty.
"As soon as he saw it he blew for the penalty and that it happens before Stuart Findlay heads the ball. That is what we judge it on. He has done the correct thing.
"If I am Derek, I am feeling aggrieved by it, but I am feeling aggrieved every time a penalty is given.
"That is the rules, the rules were followed and we got a save from the penalty.
"If that is a tackle on the edge of the box he immediately gives a penalty. It is no different to every time the referee sees a foul in the box."
McInnes though was furious with the decision, saying that the phase of play should have been allowed to run its course before awarding the penalty.
"The referee apologised and said he has made a huge mistake," he said.
"He said that he wasn't expecting Stuart Findlay to score the goal. We should be expecting the referee to allow the phase of play as we are told every meeting and that is why VAR is there.
"It takes 15 seconds for an offside decision to be made these days because they have to allow play.
"The law says if the whistle is blown before the ball is over the line then it has to be a penalty. In the modern day when there is VAR a perfectly good goal should stand.
"It is a shirt pull, but they should let the play continue and let the attack finish. How they can't reverse that in the modern day.
"The referee has made a huge mistake by his own omission and I think VAR could help out there."
Mackay was delighted with the victory at Rugby Park against a Kilmarnock team that had beaten Rangers in the Premiership and knocked Celtic out of the League Cup already this season.
"I thought it was a terrific win as this is a difficult place to come as Celtic and Rangers have seen this season.
"Derek has put together a better team than last season and has made good signing and started confidently.
"We had to mitigate their strengths and I thought we did that over the day.
"We have made a statement of intent with that result."
