By Gary Smith, World-Track Global
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes looks on during a English Premier League football game
MANCHESTER — Manchester City boss believes the penalty call made against his team during their drawn game against Hull City was the wrong call.
Referee Lee Probert awarded a penalty kick to the visitors on the 81st-minute after it appeared that defender Joleon Lescott had handled the ball in the area before the official later said that he had penalised skipper Kolo Toure for a foul on striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Nonetheless, Jimmy Bullard stepped up and fired home from the spot to cancel out Shaun Wright-Phillips’ strike on half time as the home supporters were left disappointed.
Another drawn game meant that City, despite their big spending in the summer transfer window,were unable to end their run of six successive Barclays Premier League draws and Hughes said a wrong call cost them this game.
“You hope referees get the big decisions right. Unfortunately, he didn’t,” Hughes told the club’s official website.
“My first thought was that it was for handball but I’ve seen it since and it’s certainly not. Now the referee is saying it’s for the challenge in the box, and I’d debate that as well. It’s a harsh decision. It was a coming together, not a foul.
“It wasn’t a valid decision. It is obviously a key one. I looked at the video and his body language suggested he was possibly trying to indicate that it was a handball. We hear now it was a foul.
“The players are down, they can see the in justice. We’re not seeing games out,but today the referee played a hand.The penalty hurt us – without it, I don’t think Hull would have given us too many problems.
“We need to break the cycle. I sensed a bit of anxiety towards the end, which is understandable. Hull worked exceptionally hard and made it difficult, but I thought we did enough to win.
“At times we will look what we are, a team that’s come together quickly and has frailties as a consequence. We are picking up points and it’s only a matter of time before we’re winning again.”
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