Paul Simpson joined Barrow boss Pete Wild in talking about the fine margins involved in football matches.
The Carlisle boss was talking after his side’s 2-0 home defeat to Derby County which kept them perilously close to the drop zone.
Particularly in the first half Simpson thought it could have been a different score-line to the 1-0 advantage Derby had at the break.
He told the club website: “I think there are some fine margins in the first half. Luke Plange’s shot goes against the post and Jordan Gibson’s shot goes through the keeper’s hands then hits the crossbar, instead of going in.
“I’ve seen the penalty appeal and it’s hand ball, I don’t get it. I’m sick of talking about the number of times we should have had penalties. I don’t believe it, but people keep telling me it’ll even up over the season, so we’ve got a shed load of penalties to come.
“That was all in the first half, and I don’t think we did enough in the second half to go and trouble Derby, who I thought showed their experience and their know-how. They killed the game when we got any momentum.
“I thought in the first half we were excellent, but I don’t think we did enough second half. We didn’t really trouble them and we didn’t work their goalkeeper enough.
“I’m so pleased with what we did in the first half, I thought it was a great reaction. I didn’t think we deserved to go a goal down, it’s a bit of a weak goal to give away.
“With the penalty there are a couple of things, we allowed it to come back into us, when we were trying to stretch them, by making wrong decisions.
“I don’t think Jokull [Andresson] was aware that the lad was coming behind him, so he brings him down, and it is a penalty.
The appeal for a spot kick when Craig Forsyth appeared to stop a cross with an arm fell brought no reaction from the officials.
Simpson said: “I do think it’s a penalty because he blocks the cross. I don’t actually know the rules, and I’m not actually sure if the officials know the rules if I’m going to be really honest with you.
“I thought there were some strange decisions to play advantage when there wasn’t any advantage, then to stop the game, taking our advantage away when we could have played on.
“It isn’t the referee who has lost us the game though. We’ve conceded two sloppy goals against what we have to remember is a strong Derby County side. That’s the biggest disappointment, we did some good things in the first half but we weren’t able to continue it in the second half.”
