Jim Goodwin insists Jamie Murphy went down far too easily for a penalty to be given during Hibs 2-1 win over St Mirren on Tuesday night.
The on-loan Rangers winger was fouled in the second half for a spot kick that was dispatched by Martin Boyle and it came after Jak Alnwick was earlier sent off for St Mirren.
But Goodwin believes the touch from Marcus Fraser wasn't enough to send Murphy sprawling to the ground as he bemoaned the decision of the referee.
The St Mirren boss also believes his side were the better team before Alnwick's sending off in the first half and was disappointed by both goals conceded.
He told the Paisley Daily Express: “It’s never a case of faulting the players’ efforts. They conceded a couple of poor goals from our point of view.
“To concede from a set play is really disappointing. The penalty is soft in my opinion.
“There’s definitely a slight touch from Marcus Fraser on Jamie Murphy’s hand, but never enough for his legs to collapse underneath him the way they did.
"When you go 2-0 down you’re always up against it, but credit to the players because they kept going."
Goodwin admits the red card made it a very difficult game for his side but reckons they were in control of the match before it happened.
Alnwick was sent off for taking out Boyle after he latched onto a short back pass but before that, Goodwin believes his men were creating the best chances.
He added: “It’s disappointing. At 11 versus 11, I thought we were the better team.
“We were well on top in the game and created some good chances. We looked as if we were controlling the game in terms of the possession.
“We played good football in periods as well. But the sending-off is a huge turning point. Hibs are a decent side and it’s hard enough to play against them with 11 men.
