We should have had our own penalty, says Accy boss

Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman thought his side ought to have been awarded at least one penalty in his side's 0-0 draw with Blackpool.
Accy boss John ColemanAccy boss John Coleman
Accy boss John Coleman

Referee Mark Brown had a number of tight calls to make in the action-packed stalemate at Bloomfield Road.

The penalty he did give came Blackpool's way after Jack Payne was brought down in the box, but striker Kyle Vassell fluffed his lines from 12 yards.

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Stanley had their own shouts and Coleman thought his side had at least two good appeals.

"It was a good game," he said. "First half I thought we were petrified of winning it but second half both teams tried to win it.

"Consequently the game's opened up and both teams had chances.

"The players gave their all but they were possibly a bit too stretched and open at the end but they were trying to win the game, so you have to give credit to both sides.

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"You just have to trust the referee because he's had a few decisions to make. It was difficult for him because there were two really poor challenges in the opening ten minutes but you have to admire him because he's tried to keep a lid on the game.

"But if they're bookings they're bookings and he went on to book people for far less after that. I don't think that's fair to be honest. If you make a bad challenge you have to be booked, it doesn't matter what minute it is.

"I think that probably put him on the back foot for the rest of the afternoon. It was a big call for their penalty because we feel it was outside of the box and we feel as though we had two good claims for penalties ourselves.

"You get some decisions that go for you but you also get some that go against you."

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Stanley remain four points off the play-off spots with just four games left, but Coleman insists his side are still in with a shout.

"The play-offs are still on," he added. "We're sick that we could have gone two points behind the pack and we could have leapfrogged Blackpool.

"But there's still a lot of football still to play and that's a difficult away game chalked off. So we've still got a chance."