Frustrated Dundee United boss Micky Mellon has admitted he has no idea what is deemed a penalty after his side were denied a stonewaller against Hibs.
Struggling United crashed 2-0 at home to Hibs but were denied a possible comeback when referee Gavin Duncan and his officials missed a blatant handball from Josh Doig.
Mellon watched his side lose two penalties against St Mirren midweek and admitted he is just looking for clarity and consistency from our officials.
He said: “If we have to take our medicine during the week, in tight games like a lot of them are in the Premiership, there has to be consistency and they have to go your way in order to give yourself a good chance of getting results.
“The fourth official today is the one who gave the penalty on Wednesday night.
“We spoke to him before the game and said that we want the same thing because you told us any handball in the box is a penalty.
“We want judged fairly and it just didn’t happen, did it.
“I don’t want to be standing here making excuses, I’ve been asked the question, but I do believe we should have had a penalty.
“The linesman is looking right across the line, he can’t give that one that he was watching the line, not the ball.
“He was looking right at it, if the Lawrence Shankland one is a penalty then that’s a stonewall penalty kick.
“Have I had an explanation? You never do, they’ll carry on and referee another game on Wednesday, move on and we have to deal with getting the group back together.
“And the confusion of what is a penalty any more? I don’t know.”
United have now failed to win in their last seven and have now dropped out of the top six but Mellon believes he has the players to turn their slump around.
Mellon predicted: “We have the players and we know when it all clicks we will be fine.”
