OLLIE Horgan, the Finn Harps manager, took exception with referee Rob Hennessy following last night’s 2-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers.
Horgan was sent off for arguing against a decision to award Rovers the free kick from which their second goal was created.
Harps matched Rovers for 73 minutes, but Rory Gaffney fired in the opener, which came from a free that was hotly contested by the home side.
Initially, Hennessy had signalled a Harps free but, with Johnny Dunleavy off to receive treatment, the official changed his decision and Rovers went in front.
After the game, Horgan fumed at how he was treated when he sought a clarification.
“It’s the first time in my time here where I have gone to the referee’s room afterwards, asked them to explain and they refused to explain,” Horgan told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“That’s a first. That referee is a good referee and a good man. But he’s working with the FAO and, if he’s the future in it and won’t speak and explain what happened, I think that’s a problem.”
Horgan, though, stressed that his own side had to take the blame for the defeat.
He said: “Mistakes cost games and we have to eradicate them. We were very comfortable against the best side in the country, which made it worse and harder to take. But we have to take it and pick ourselves up for Derry.”
