Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner angered by two refereeing decisions in defeat at MK Dons
Head coach Mark Bonner has bemoaned two quickfire first-half decisions from referee Sam Lewis during Cambridge United’s 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers MK Dons this afternoon.
The visiting U’s thought they had broken the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Jack Lankester curled a right-footed effort into the bottom corner, only for an offside Sam Smith to have been deemed to be in home goalkeeper Jamie Cumming’s eyeline.
And to add insult to injury, with their next attack the Dons scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game. Bonner felt a soft foul was awarded in favour of Conor Grant and Mo Eisa stepped up to bend the resultant free kick into the top corner.
“The first goal is key. We score a goal that is onside because the lad (Smith) is in an offside position but there is no way he is interfering with the goalkeeper or in his line or in that move at all,” said the United boss.
“A minute later he gives the softest free kick he’s ever going to give and the lad sticks it in the top corner.
“In those two minutes the whole afternoon shifts because the first goal is important. When teams are as devoid of confidence as they are, the first goal was always going to be really important and we scored it.
“The linesman flagged because he was in an offside position. I’ve got no qualms with him, but the referee is in the middle of the pitch and he decides he’s interfering, which is absolutely nonsense.
“It’s a brilliant goal, really well worked from deep in the pitch. And it’s a brilliant free kick but we definitely don’t think it should have been given.”
Nevertheless, Bonner did concede that the response from his side to falling behind was not good enough.
He added: “The second half we started with a bit of intent. The place was dead, no atmosphere, no drive in the game. We were in their half but when we give the ball away cheap the momentum shifts and that was how the second half played out.
“We were terrible with the ball, gave it away so often and created hardly any moments of quality and lacked a bit of intensity as it went on.
“We’re disappointed with our level as the game went on and our inability to create too many good chances.
“We hid a little bit in the second half too much and didn’t get enough tempo or enough options to pass. Look at how many passes we gave away or turned the ball over because we just passed a problem to our team-mate, bounced something in or didn’t play with enough zip or tempo and then got frustrated because of it.
“If we want to stay in the league and win games then we’ve got to be better than we were in the second half because that won’t be good enough to do it.
“I don’t actually think we were under a huge amount of pressure or threat against them either. I thought it was two teams that look like the level that they’re playing at (at the moment).”
