It’s Ref justice for Latics

FLASHPOINT as the Latics bench protest

JAMES Dayton claimed that referee Eddie Ilderton admitted that Athletic goalkeeper Mark Oxley played the ball first in the controversial incident which led to Tranmere’s match-winning penalty.

Rovers substitute Ryan Lowe went down in the box under a challenge from Oxley in which he appeared to push the ball clear of goal.

Lowe dusted himself off to convert the spot-kick which handed Ronnie Moore a third successive victory against the club he used to manage — but the manner of defeat left a sour taste for the home side.

“I put to him, ‘how is that a penalty?” said winger Dayton of his conversation with Ilderton. “He (Oxley) touched the ball first.’

“He said back to me, ‘yeah I know he did. But he took the man after.’

“So you are telling me that in every single tackle when you win the ball first and the man falls over your leg, it is a free-kick?

“I don’t need to say any more than that.”

Boss Lee Johnson, whose thoughts are firmly on today’s transfer deadline of 11pm, opted not to get involved too much in a public war of words with Ilderton, keeping his post-match conversation with the Tyne and Wear official private.

“You can’t legislate for that sort of mistake and it is disappointing,” he said of the last-gasp penalty which handed Athletic a third Sky Bet League One defeat in five matches.

“Nobody appealed for them. It is unbelievable.”

Two of Athletic’s players alluded to the controversy on Twitter.

Oxley (@markoxley1) stated: Fuming! What a joke!, while Cristian Montano (@Cmontano11) said: Speechless … Actually fuming.

Athletic fielded Albert Rusnak as a substitute on Saturday, after the Manchester City youngster completed a loan move which runs until January 5.

Johnson, who said Cliff Byrne was fit but not selected at the weekend, explained his reasoning for starting with Sidney Schmeltz as opposed to Montano.

“He (Montano) didn’t train (on Friday) with a bit of a dead leg and Sidney had been doing very well anyway.

“One of my rules is that you have to train on the Friday to play as we do a lot of work on organisation.

“He wasn’t quite moving freely when he came on for James Dayton who had a bit of cramp.

“I was going to stick Danny Philliskirk on up front and switch it around into a diamond with Albert (Rusnak) in behind, but we couldn’t do that with Dayts coming off.”

Johnson admitted there may be “one or two” pieces of business done today at Boundary Park.

Huddersfield Town are understood to be keen on taking James Tarkowski — with the centre-back possibly being loaned back to Athletic for the season — but it remains to be seen whether the club will sell a player who has made such progress this season.

There is also talk of a Czech centre-back arriving at Athletic today on loan.

ATHLETIC are back in action tomorrow night, at Shrewsbury in the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy (7.30pm kick-off).