DECLAN DEVINE SPOKE with a mixture of anger and acceptance following Bohemians’ 2-0 defeat to Shamrock Rovers last night.
The result sees the Gypseis’ lead at the top of the Premier Division reduced to one point as the four-in-a-row chasing champions continue to increase pressure.
The Bohs boss fumed at referee Rob Hennessy’s failure award to a second-half penalty to his side when the visitors trailed to Trevor Clarke’s 52nd-minute opener.
Devine revealed that the official told captain Keith Buckley that his reasoning for not pointing to the spot was that he felt Jonathan Afolabi didn’t get the first contact on the ball to bring it away from the sliding tackle of Hoops defender Daniel Cleary.
Replays showed that the striker had won possession and was brought down as he bore down on goal.
“I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it. I spoke to the boy and watched it on the laptop there. Jon [Afolabi] gets a touch first and then I think it’s Dan Cleary who comes in and he connects with our boy, he connects with our player and not only is it a penalty, I think it’s going to end up as a sending off if it’s given,” Devine said.
“It’s a decision that has really hurt us at 1-0 and it’s a massive turning point in the game… Listen, I can see it from here that he has caught him. I can see he hasn’t connected with the ball from here, and I’m 35 or 40 yards away.
“It’s a very clear decision for me but I said last week that these things even out. It’s very disappointing because of the magnitude of the game and it’s a massive moment in the game because if we get that and potentially they go down to 10-men then there is one team in the ascendancy then.
“But we have to understand that they are the champions and have been together a long time and we’re together a short period of time. We have to be better than what we were and I think we can be, especially in both boxes.
“We hadn’t got a decision all night, there’s no point going after it, then I’ll be the one sitting in the stands next week. Look it’s one of them things, it’s been very costly, I’m not going to slate the referees, its a difficult job, they’ve got to get those incidents right
“The comment to our captain (Keith Buckley) was that we never touched the ball first, we never got a touch on it. I could see from hear that Jonathan has touched the ball first.”
Devine’s frustrations were compounded by his belief that Rovers’ first goal, a tap in from close range, was offside, although the video evidence was less conclusive compared to the penalty incident.
And the Rovers manager also accepted his side were lacking at both ends of the pitch.
“The first goal is offside and then a stone wall penalty. We have let the crosses for the first and second goal come into the box too easy but you can’t legislate for two massive calls in the game.
“I’m not here to have a go at referees, we all make mistakes, but that’s two very defining moments in the game that have really cost us. We had chances in the game that we have to take and the keeper has made a great save from Paddy Kirk just before half-time.
“It was probably our first moment in the game where we really hurt them. Then Jon [Afolabi] has a great chance, Krystian ]Nowak] has got a header and then Declan McDaid coming in at the back post is another good opportunity. But as I say, the two big calls in the game have had a huge influence on the result.”
