Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson criticises referee over penalty calls: ‘Oh my goodness me’

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was today scathing about referee Darren Drysdale’s decisions to award two penalties against his side at AFC Wimbledon.

Elliot Lee gave the Welsh club a first half lead only for the Dons to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw from the spot, James Tilley beating Ben Foster with a well-taken penalty nine minutes from time. Wimbledon’s equaliser came after Foster had earlier saved Ali Al-Hamadi’s spot-kick.

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Both penalties were given for fouls in the Wrexham penalty area, Will Boyle and Eoghan O’Connell adjudged to have been at fault.

“I’ve just looked at the two penalty incidents and, oh my goodness me,” said Parkinson. “We have come up a level and this referee has been around a bit.

“The first one, in relation to what has gone on in the penalty boxes all through the game, to pick that moment out to give a penalty. The second one is unbelievable.

“Eoghan has gone up. If there is a nudge, the lad has fallen to the floor and a referee of his standard has to identify that.

“I am very, very disappointed with the performance. It is a difficult place to come. They left the grass long, they look to go forward and are an old fashioned team. We have to be able to deal with that. In the main, we did.

“If everyone looks at the decision when the penalties went against us, you can probably make a case for the officials to say it was a penalty. But in terms of what had been going on in both penalty boxes throughout the game, to pick those moments out for the penalties was incredible.”

On a sometimes stormy afternoon, both Parkinson and Dons counterpart Johnnie Jackson were booked for dissent in the respective technical areas. Five players were also shown a yellow card.

Asked by the media to clear up who had