Sub Vassell left 'baffled' after late penalty is turned down

The second half substitute had already pulled Town back on level terms with his 11th of the season just five minutes after coming off the bench and appeared to be clipped inside the area by Teddy Mezague but after a discussion with his assistant Amy Fearn, referee Brett Huxtable signalled for a corner instead.

Vassell said: “I think we had a shout for penalty on me, I’m baffled with that one, I don’t know how the ref’s not given it.

“It was a stonewall one, I’ve knocked it past my player, it’s gone out, the final touch is heavy, but he’s clattered me and the referee's given a corner which I find strange.

“Because how with the defender facing with his back to goal, has he managed to kick it out for a corner behind him?

“It just doesn’t make sense. I think the referee and the lino might have got that wrong.

“She (Fearn) got a good look at it and when we appealed, I don’t know what she had seen, but I don’t think they got that decision right.”

Asked if he spoke to Huxtable afterwards, Vassell said: “You always appeal after it, especially when it’s something like that.

“I thought it was stonewall and asked him what it was and he just waved it off and said no.”

Strike partner Danny Hylton was equally astounded that he hadn’t been given the chance to win it from 12 yards, saying: “It’s one of the most obvious I’ve seen.

“I know referee's have got tough jobs, but sometimes you look at a decision, I don’t know how he’s not given it.

“He’s given a corner, it baffles me, it really does. Because if he’s not given a penalty it’s a goal kick as you can see that Vass clearly toe-pokes the ball away and gets tripped.

“I don’t know if they’re scared to make decisions, I really don’t know, it was a disappointing decision, it really was.

“I might have taken it and missed, they’ve got a tough job, but we can’t really blame it on that one decision, we probably should have been out of sight by that point.”

Hylton was seen almost hugging Huxtable after the penalty appeals were waved away and on what he said, the striker continued: “I was pleading with him, before he made that decision, to give the penalty, saying ‘it’s obvious, you know it is,’ but he just didn’t give it.

“I really don’t know how, it was definitely a penalty but we didn’t get that luck today.”

Assistant boss Paul Hart gave his opinion on the incident too, saying: “There were two penalty shouts I felt and the second one I felt we were hard done by on that one.

“It’s disappointing, but that’s what you have to put with, move forward.”

Moments before Vassell was tripped, the striker had claims for another spotkick as he was hauled back in the area, again by Mezague, although afterwards, added: “The first one, I don’t think was as much of a penalty.

“He did tug me a little bit but you’re going to get that and refs these days don’t really give those kind of fouls, especially in the box.

“I was off balance and don’t think that was a penalty, but these things happen. We shouldn’t have been in that situation, we should have been out of sight.”