Bolton Wanderers boss Keith Hill was fuming at the referee and Bristol Rovers' Abu Ogogo after a challenge left Will Buckley with a potential fractured leg.
Bolton and Rovers drew 1-1 at the University of Bolton Stadium, with the Gas scoring their first goal of 2020 after Jonson Clarke-Harris tapped home from a Alex Rodman cross just after the hour mark.
However it wasn't to be for Ben Garner's side after Daryl Murphy leveled the scores on 82 minutes. But it was the challenge on Buckley that Hill focused on during his post match press conference.
The forward replaced Ronan Darcy in the second half but was injured in a challenge with Ogogo with 20 minutes to go. Buckley was taken off on a stretcher after a long break in the play and Hill criticised the referee for his performance and Ogogo for the challenge.
He told Bolton News: “Will Buckley could potentially have a fracture. It’s sad, really, because you want players to be protected and I thought it was a 1980s challenge, took the ball and the player. But he took a serious chunk of Will and that could potentially be devastating for us again.
“They (referees) get it wrong, have bad days like managers and players, and he’s probably not had one of his best games today.
“The consequences could be quite hard for us. It happened the same at Rochdale with Will when he fractured his knee in a similar sort of challenge where Stephen Dooley went straight through him.
“We paid a heavy price then and potentially we have again.”
However, despite Hill's protests Rovers boss Ben Garner argued that it looked like a fair challenge at first glance.
In his post match press conference, Garner said: "It looked like a hard, firm challenge to me. It looked more of a surprise for Buckley, because he turned blind and gone into Abs, but on first viewing it just looked like a strong tackle.
"He got the ball and cleared it straight out of play.
"I haven’t seen it again, but on live viewing it just looked like a strong tackle from Abs."
There was eight minutes of added time after the challenge, but neither team was able to capitalise in the closing stages, leaving the Gas still without a win since Garner took charge before Christmas.
Rovers now welcome Coventry City to the Mem on Saturday.
