Ross County manager John Hughes says he expects better from referee John Beaton after their defeat to Hibs.
The Staggies lost 2-1 to the Edinburgh outfit at Victoria Park, with a couple of controversial calls from the man in charge adding to the Dingwall side’s frustration.
Boss Hughes felt Hibs attacker Martin Boyle “played” whistler Beaton when going down under an Alex Iacovitti challenge to win a penalty, from which he cancelled out Billy Mckay’s opener for County.
Shortly after Boyle was booked for a challenge on Leo Hjelde and then should have been booked again for diving to try to win a second spot-kick.
Hughes said: “I felt Boyle played for the penalty, I felt he went into him.
“The last time I saw a dive like that the boy had Speedos on!
“I am expecting better from John Beaton to see what was up, but he only gets one look at it.
“He pointed to the spot then there was a tackle on Leo when Boyle got booked.
“Boyle then dived again on the far side but John decided not to take any action because it would have been a second yellow and a red.
“That’s what I was talking to him about at the end. You need to see it, that’s what you get paid for and we expect better than that.
“It just seems that up at Ross County, it’s easy to give penalties.
“I’m not having a go at referees, I’m in it with them and they have decisions to make and have to make it instantly.
“I can look at a monitor and see, they can’t do that.
“I thought the second goal was offside at first then I saw it again and it wasn’t – so I admitted that to the fourth official.
“That penalty though, not for me – but I will say that because I’m the manager of the club.
“We went for it at 2-1 and had a go. I feel sorry for the lads because they deserve more.”
Hibs dominated the first half without looking particularly threatening and they were stunned by Ross County five minutes into the second half when Mckay netted.
But within a minute the Staggies had conceded the penalty before Kevin Nisbet hit the winner for Hibs on the hour mark.
Hughes added: “I don’t think we laid a glove on Hibs in the first half and we were hanging on.
“But I said to them at half-time they’d been solid and we’d get a chance – and that’s what happened.
“Once it fell to Billy McKay it was in the back of the net.
“But you see it so many times in football, you score, celebrate and then switch off.
“I don’t know what it is but it happens all the time.”
