Peterhead boss blasts red card decision

PETERHEAD boss Neale Cooper today blasted the Dumbarton players for “pressuring” referee Scott MacDonald into sending off Jonathan Crawford.

Cooper is unhappy because the red card took the shine off a vital victory for his side in front of a crowd of only 327, the lowest ever at Balmoor.

Crawford, on loan from Aberdeen until the summer, was dismissed in the 76th minute for a two-footed tackle on visiting winger Stevie Murray.

Crawford failed to make any contact, but the match official – who was shocking throughout – was immediately surrounded by a posse of Dumbarton players, including Murray, urging him to take action against Crawford.

Cooper expected the defender, who was watched by Aberdeen FC management duo Mark McGhee and Scott Leitch, to get a booking at the most and blamed the response from their opponents for influencing how the match official reacted.

Cooper said: “It was a very disappointing decision.

“I don’t think Jonathan would have been sent-off if the Dumbarton players hadn’t reacted in the manner they did.

“They all rushed up to the referee, pressuring him to take action. I’ve never liked to see that sort of thing happening, especially when Murray hadn’t even been touched, never mind injured.”