MARC BIRCHAM has again hit out at refereeing calls and the appeals process in Ireland.
Waterford were beaten 2-0 by Shamrock Rovers on Friday night and the Blues boss had no argument over who was the better side.
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But he took issue with a number of key decisions by referee Rob Harvey.
Darragh Power was taken out off the ball in a counter-attack by the visitors in the first half.
Bircham was unhappy with the awarding of a free-kick for a handball by Eddie Nolan, the subsequent moving of the ball, and Rory Gaffney running across keeper Brian Murphy who could not keep Danny Mandroiu’s shot out.
He was further incensed when, almost immediately afterwards, Rovers were awarded a free out after a challenge by Aidomo Emakhu left Shane Griffin with a suspected broken ankle.
Bircham said: “When my player got injured, it looks like he’s broken his ankle and we didn’t get a free-kick.
“My player kicked their player? Not that he’s striking a ball and their player has come in from behind and not touched the ball and kicked him and in any age of football that’s a free-kick, but I’ve got that wrong?
“I’m stupid, I don’t know anything about it.
“Don’t get me wrong, Shamrock are a good team, we came to try and spoil it and play on the counter-attack, they’re a better team than us.
“They’ve got better players than us. They deserved to win.”
OPENING GOAL
On the opening goal, he said: “Please look at that free-kick, it’s blasted from two yards with one of my players throwing their body on the line with their hands in a natural position.
“It’s a human body reaction. If you are sliding on the floor and someone is kicking the ball, you’re going to put your hands up around your face, not outside the silhouette.
“But then, from there, we’ve looked at it, they’ve moved the free-kick after the whistle is blown and there’s players in offside positions.
“I don’t know about football, these know everything. I’m not talking about opinions.
“It’s laws of the game. You can’t run across the goal.”
WHY NOT?
Asked if his complaints might count against him, the former Millwall and QPR player said: “I don’t care. What are they going to do? Give decisions against me?
“It’s been happening anyway, I can get it off my chest and feel better about myself.
“I don’t mind (them) getting 50-50s wrong and the throw-ins wrong but get the big decisions right, it’s all I’m asking.
“I’m not the only manager in the league that feels it.”
OTHERS ARE ANGERED
Bircham alluded to Drogheda United’s Tim Clancy and Ollie Horgan of Finn Harps as managers having similar issues with officials.
He said: “Tim’s a good guy, Ollie is a good guy, we can’t all be wrong.
“But it’s our jobs that are on the line.
“They go away, the assessor will probably write them a ‘You should have done better there’ and they get on with it next week.
“I’ve been sent off as a manager for choking someone out on the other team in the other dugout, which I deserved.
“I’ve never been done for dissent but I want to, because at least I can get sent off and feel better about myself by telling them exactly what I think of them.
“But I’m biting my lip, I’m not doing it, I’m toeing the line and it’s not working for me.”
APPEAL GRIPE
Bircham highlighted his unhappiness with the appeals process compared to England.
He said: “I think it’s different from football in general.
“A ref can get something completely wrong, a red card, it’s an automatic one game even if they’re completely wrong.
“Now what world is that? Even if he’s wrong.”