Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips calls for VAR in League One after disappointing decisions at Rochdale

Armand Gnanduillet should have been awarded a penalty in the view of Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips

Terry McPhillips called for the introduction of VAR at League One level after his Blackpool side were on the wrong end of a number of contentious decisions in their cruel 2-1 defeat at Rochdale.

Rochdale 2-1 Blackpool: Last-ditch goal cruelly denies 10-man Seasiders a point

But Rochdale stole the three points courtesy of an 89th-minute winner, which the Blackpool players appealed should have been ruled out for offside.

In the first half, Pool were denied a blatant penalty and Dale’s Callum Camps was shown only a yellow card for what McPhillips claimed was a stamp on Jordan Thompson.

Thompson reacted angrily and appeared to headbutt Camp in the chest, resulting in his straight red.

After this third successive league defeat, a disappointed McPhillips felt his side’s brave display warranted a point and he called into question the performance of referee Thomas Bramall.

The Pool boss said: “You don’t always get what you deserve and I thought we deserved a draw. I think the referee has had a reasonable game with nearly all of the decisions bar the crucial ones.

“It was certainly a penalty for Armand (Gnanduillet), there’s just no doubt.

“I don’t need to watch the video back to see that he got there first and the goalie whacked him out.

“The referee was eight yards away, with no players in his way, so it should have been clear. That was majorly disappointing.

“That’s why we have this VAR coming in, to help them. They need help. They’ve got the fourth official and the linesmen but they need help, don’t they?

“They’ve got a communication system but I think it was bust, it really was. They were having problems with it, but they’ve got to help each other to get the major decisions right and they didn’t do that.”

Of Thompson’s moment of madness, McPhillips added: “Jordan shouldn’t do what he did. He shouldn’t react. He’s got to learn from that because it’s cost us.

“He’s a good player ,so he’s going to get kicked but he actually got stamped on. I’ve seen that back.

“The referee booked him, which I don’t get. You don’t book someone for a stamp –you send him off.

“That’s why Jordan reacted the way he did, which he shouldn’t have done but they should have both been sent off.

“Then you look at their winning goal at the end. I thought it was offside but you can’t really tell on the video. It’s as close as close can be.

“But I thought the lads were brilliant with the way they defended but they just got that one wrong. We maybe could have had one a little deeper, so that’s cost us.

“But credit to the players – they put a right shift in. I couldn’t have asked for any more effort.”