'If that's not a penalty, then what is?': Gary Haveron feels it was 'two points dropped' for Larne amid decision frustration
Larne manager Gary Haveron believes it was a case of “two points dropped” for his side after their 1-1 Premiership draw against Bangor – but feels they were denied two clear penalties at Inver Park.
Bangor have enjoyed a dream return to life back in Northern Ireland’s top-flight and that further continued on Saturday evening when Ben Arthurs put Lee Feeney’s side ahead after eight minutes.
Conor McKendry found a second half equaliser for the hosts, and despite pushing for a winner as they looked to apply pressure on leaders Coleraine and Glentoran who both won earlier in the day, Haveron’s side couldn’t find another way through Bangor’s resolute defence.
Bangor continue to sit inside the Premiership’s top-half after extending their unbeaten run to four matches, but Haveron feels his side missed an opportunity.
"It feels like two points dropped,” he told the club’s media channel. “We let them get a foothold in the game with the early goal we concede.
"We talked all week about what they were going to do, Arthurs flicking on and them running off the back, we knew what they wanted to do and we didn't deal with it. It's poor from us defensively and I'm disappointed with how we defended that moment.
"We've had a lot of the ball, so much possession and haven't done enough with it at times. We lacked a wee bit of composure and quality in our finishing.
"We came out and changed it early in the second half, I wasn't going to let it drift on, I wanted to see an impact and we got that to a certain degree.
"It was attack against defence for most of the second half, but Bangor are happy to do that, happy to give up the ball and they work for counter-attacking moments by going long to Arthurs and playing off him, he's very effective and very good at it.
"I'm just disappointed we haven't come up with the quality to win the game because it should have been three points."
Haveron believes Larne were denied two huge opportunities to further add to their goal tally after having penalty appeals waved away for what he deemed clear fouls on Tomas Cosgrove and Paul O’Neill.
Saturday’s result means Larne sit third in the Premiership, five points behind Coleraine and three worse off than second-placed Glentoran.
"The ball comes in, Tomas is free and the lad two-hand shoves him in the back clear as day,” he added. “If that's not a penalty, then what is?
"Can you just shove people over when you're on the wrong side of the man?
"I thought Gareth Deane's fumbled one as well, he comes out and cleans out Paul O'Neill, he has gone through the back of him and made no contact with the ball - what more do you need?
"We didn't get those decisions today, but I'm more disappointed we haven't put the ball in the back of the net and not needed the referee to intervene, even though I did feel there were two penalties."