Soccer
Shrewsbury manager Gavin Cowan bemoans refereeing decisions in Fleetwood loss
Shrewsbury manager Gavin Cowan bemoaned a number of refereeing decisions that went against his side in their 2-0 defeat at Fleetwood.
The big talking point came six minutes before the break when Shrews goalkeeper Will Brook gave away a corner after holding on to the ball for more than eight seconds.
The corner was headed down by Fleetwood’s Rhys Bennett and Ronan Coughlan managed to guide the ball home from close range with the help of his knee.
“It’s hard because obviously I don’t want to sound as if I lack any class or humility and I understand that the referee’s job is tough,” said Cowan.
“I felt prior to that there was a good seven decisions that baffled me from our perspective, and two of them were for them, so I was a bit concerned with decisions going the wrong way.
“We have the benefit of looking back on our iPad and the replay and he (Brook) doesn’t take five seconds (referees hold a hand up to count down the final five seconds) – he kicks the ball on one (second remaining). I think what had happened was, and he said to me after that, he’d run it close a couple of times. You can run it close as long as you’re in the designated time.
“I don’t understand what that’s got to do with it, but he gives the corner and from the resulting corner it’s a plain foul everyone will see when they watch it – he (Bennett) just grabs Josh Davison, just throws him out the way and heads for the goal.”
Shrewsbury also had two second-half penalty shouts turned down.
“If I say what I want to say, then I’ll probably get more than a slapped wrist. I just wonder, if a player drives into the box and he’s tackled, and there’s contact and the lad doesn’t touch the ball, in my
world that constitutes a penalty,” Cowan added.
Fleetwood boss Matt Lawlor feels his side, which are still unbeaten in the league, still have a lot more to offer.
He said: “We weren’t at our brilliant best, we know we weren’t, but it’s a good habit to get, when you’re not at your brilliant best to get three points.
“We talked about making a good start into a very good start so I think we’ve done that today. I thought they were dogged and really hard working and they worked for the manager very, very well.
“They probably had the better of the first half if I’m honest.”
The home side’s second goal came with just four minutes to go through on-loan Fulham striker Aaron Loupalo-Bi’s deflected close-range shot following a cross from fellow substitute Ched Evans.
