Buckie Thistle manager Graeme Stewart felt the officials cost his side victory against Fraserburgh after a 2-2 draw at Victoria Park.
In the battle of the Breedon Highland League’s top two the Broch led courtesy of Gary Harris’ penalty.
But late goals from Sam Urquhart and Kyle MacLeod put the Jags ahead only for Paul Campbell to equalise with a 93rd minute penalty.
The result means Fraserburgh remain top of the Highland League with 16 points, with Buckie three behind in second.
Stewart, who was sent off with 12 minutes left, was proud of his team but critical of referee Lee Robertson.
‘If it wasn’t for officials we win the game’
He said: “I’m delighted with the performance because we were struggling to put a team out.
“Lewis MacKinnon, Shaun Wood and Craig Cowie haven’t kicked a ball all season and had to come into the team.
“Hamish Munro was on the bench but isn’t fit, Scott Adams and Adam MacLeod are injured, Lyall Booth has left, Lewis Dunbar has stopped playing football.
“I can’t express how happy I am with my team’s attitude because other teams could have got hammered.
“The referee’s given a lot of soft fouls to Fraserburgh. They’re very experienced and they’re a very good team and the referee bought it.
“The first penalty is outside the box, it is a foul, but it’s outside the box.
“If he’d given a free-kick maybe Sam Morrison would have been sent off, I don’t know, but it was outside the box.
“He sent me off for foul and abusive language when he didn’t know who it came from, but because I’m the most senior person in the dugout he sent me off.
“If that’s a rule then it seems ridiculous to me that a swear word can come from anywhere and you send the manager off when it wasn’t me that said it.
“He couldn’t wait to give a penalty at the end, he liked to get involved in the game.
“If it wasn’t for officials we win the game, but I was delighted with what the team gave me.”
Thrills and spills over the 90 minutes
Fraserburgh made the breakthrough on 31 minutes when Scott Barbour was hauled down by Sam Morrison and after the defender had been booked rather than sent off Harris fired the penalty into the top left corner.
Buckie turned the screw in the second half and equalised in the 80th minute.
Max Barry broke through following a swift counter-attack and shot against the left post, but Urquhart was on hand to rifle home the rebound.
In the 87th minute Andrew MacAskill’s free-kick wasn’t cleared and when Urquhart played the ball back across goal sub MacLeod finished from close range.
In the third minute of injury time Fraserburgh snatched a point. Sub Campbell was bundled over in a crowded penalty area and then made no mistake with the resultant spot-kick.
‘It’s a good point’
Broch boss Mark Cowie said: “It’s a point gained, it’s a tough place to come and I don’t think we got anywhere near the standards we’ve set.
“Buckie were better than us on the night so it’s a good point to come away with.
“I don’t think our character can be questioned, we’ve been behind plenty this season and come back to win.
“The point feels like a defeat for the players, but it’s a good point.
“At 2-1 a lot of teams would have been gone, but we’ve managed to get the penalty and score it.
“We’re still unbeaten having played a lot of difficult games.”
