‘Blatant’ penalty

TONY Philliskirk couldn’t hide his disappointment at leaving Tranmere without a point – nor his displeasure at another refereeing decision against his side.

But despite the caretaker boss’s rough luck, he urged the players to focus on the task of seeing off basement rivals Hartlepool tomorrow night.

“The players were very disappointed at the end,” said Philliskirk, whose league record now reads three wins and two defeats.

“I don’t want to get in trouble over officials, but certainly in the first half – and I have seen it back – it is a blatant penalty for a handball.

“In the second half there wasn’t a lot in the game. I felt we didn’t deserve to lose.

“On another day, you nick that 1-0 rather than lose 1-0. At the bottom, things just don’t go right for you.

“It is still in our own hands. We have two massive home games now (the other Bournemouth on Saturday). Win both of those and that will hopefully put us in a good position.”

“I said to the players to get prepared for Hartlepool. It is a massive game for the club. We don’t feel we are far away and the things that were working for us in the three wins have just gone against us in the last couple of games.

“It is no good moping and complaining about officials. The game is gone now and we look forward, not back.”