Thistle boss Ian McCall rages at officials after Inverness defeat

Feb 1 2010

FURIOUS Partick Thistle boss Ian McCall launched a blistering attack on Saturday's match officials after the Jags were sank by a late, late penalty at Inverness.

McCall was raging at the award of the 89th minute penalty after Ian Maxwell was adjudged to have tripped Adam Rooney in the box - earning himself a red card and Caley a match-winning penalty.

Both managers agreed the award was the wrong call as experienced centre half Maxwell got a toe on the ball before clipping Rooney.

But it was standside linesman Roddy Cobb who was the target of McCall's anger after the match when the Firhill gaffer accused him of swearing at him and his players.

McCall blasted: "Everybody was angry and Terry Butcher didn't make it any better when he agreed that it wasn't a penalty!

"Ian Maxwell had had a great game and he got there and toed the ball away. The boy then fell over his legs but you could tell from the direction the ball went that there had been a touch. It was harsh.

"But the behaviour of the standside linesman was absolutely appalling - telling players to eff off and things like that.

"It's unacceptable. I rarely speak out and I rarely get in trouble with officials. The last time was many, many years ago.

"But it was towards the players and towards me. Just appalling behaviour. I don't know what football is coming to."

Inverness boss Butcher agreed with McCall's summing up of the controversial late incident.

He admitted: "I don't think either of the decisions we got were penalties. Had they been against us, I'd have been aggrieved.