Derby County boss Paul Warne has claimed he is “disappointed” by a late refereeing decision that went against his side in the defeat to Stoke City.
The Rams were unable to extend their four-match unbeaten run in the Championship when they made the short trip to Staffordshire on Saturday in a difficult away performance.
A poor first-half showing saw Tom Cannon put the Potters in the lead, following a penalty call on the striker after being felled by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
Derby responded after the break with a double substitution but it was a slice of luck that went their way as Ben Gibson headed into his own net.
The Stoke defender still had a part to play in the story though as he nodded home the winner from a late set-piece.
Derby fans felt the referee made a mistake against Stoke to allow for the goal to stand, following a foul on Nat Phillips at the front post.
That is something Paul Warne seemingly agrees with.
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Paul Warne gives verdict on referee decision for Stoke City vs Derby County
There was clear frustration surrounding the decision not to award a foul on Phillips late in the game that resulted in the winning goal, with the Derby players appealing to the officials over it.
It was something that Warne claimed he was “disappointed” about in his post-match press conference.
Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, the Derby head coach said: “I am so disappointed with the second goal. I don’t expect anyone will be surprised to hear me say I think it is a foul.
“But, if you run flat out into the front zone man, to knock him out of the way and you score in the front zone, then I’m going to be disappointed. But I don’t think we played well enough in the entirety to merit any points.
“At 1-1, I thought we were going to win it. Even the Stoke fans thought it, that we might get a goal sooner or later.
“We tried to make attacking substitutions, and I’m an optimist. But, if you don’t play well enough, you possibly don’t get anything out of the game.”
While it is certainly frustrating that Derby haven’t had the rub of the green with refereeing decisions, there may be a feeling that there was already some fortune going the side’s way.
Not only with the way the own goal happened, but Phillips may have been lucky to be on the pitch altogether.
The centre-back made a risky challenge while on a yellow card that could’ve resulted in a sending-off, but didn’t.
That said, the lack of consistency in those decisions will be the most frustrating part of the whole process.
Derby must move beyond refereeing decisions
So far this season, Derby have been unfortunate when it comes to refereeing decisions against them in big moments.
It cost them, very memorably, in the defeat to Norwich City where the officials running the line were unable to spot an apparent ball crossing the line in two instances for the Canaries – both of which resulted in goals.
Adding the Phillips foul into the mix, the Rams will feel hard done by, but there are bigger problems to focus on than the variance that comes from referees.
The performances away from home have been poor and need addressing more than the issues with match officials.
With just two points on the road this season and far from inspiring displays, it’s been a tough time to follow Derby on the road.
It’s something the side will have to work on desperately to bring about an uptick in form to ensure Championship survival.