Caley Thistle manager John Robertson feels his players are being treated unfairly by referees after Inverness were reduced to 10 men for a third successive game in yesterday’s 1-1 Championship draw with Livingston.
Inverness looked like they would hold out for all three points at Caledonian Stadium after Aaron Doran had given them an early lead, despite Iain Vigurs’ 41st-minute dismissal, but Alan Lithgow’s late equaliser ensured a share of the honours.
Vigurs was shown a second booking just six minutes after his first yellow card after referee Greg Aitken ruled he caught Livi attacker Dylan Mackin with a high foot.
Robertson and Vigurs both claimed no contact was made, with the Caley Jags manager insisting the midfielder’s attempted acrobatic effort did not merit a booking in any case.
Robertson is growing frustrated by a succession of decisions and he said: “It was the same against Brechin on Saturday. Their boys were smashing into our boys and were asked to walk away from it. Our boys are getting stuck in and they’re getting the yellow card for it.
“To get sent off for that, there’s something badly wrong there. The referee was saying Iain was aggressive and not in control of his actions but that’s not the case – it’s a guy trying to hook the ball back into the game.
“I’m getting lost with some of the decisions now. It’s not an agenda – referees don’t have agendas against teams or individuals. But the referee was on to Iain Vigurs early in the game.
“Iain is a talkative player but he was on to him after the first five minutes about shutting up.
“We’re not a dirty team at all but we’re picking up three or four bookings a game for fouls that other teams are getting away with. That’s the sad, annoying thing for me.
“I don’t think we’re getting a fair crack of the whip. There were hardly any bad fouls in the game – it’s a nonsense.”
Robertson freshened up his side up and the new-look team made the perfect start by taking the lead after just six minutes as Doran marked his first start in 12 months with a sublime low curling strike from the edge of the box.
Doran had a fine chance to double the hosts’ lead with a shot which clipped the top of the bar, while Livi goalkeeper Neil Alexander made fine saves to deny Gary Warren and Brad McKay in the search for a second goal.
Caley Jags were unable to hold out, though, with Lithgow nodding home Rafa De Vita’s free kick eight minutes from time, ensuring Inverness remain five points adrift of the play-off places.
All the match action, Pages 46, 47