- Scott Tiffoney’s 55th minute goal looked to have secured Premiership safety for Tony Docherty’s side
- But they claim referee Nick Walsh’s spot-kick award for handball against Antonio Portales was the wrong call
- Docherty does not speak to media after Ronan Hale scores crucial equaliser for Highlanders in 1-1 draw
- Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport
Dundee were left in a state of ‘confusion and disbelief’ after referee Nick Walsh controversially awarded Ross County a late, equalising penalty at Dens Park.
It was a decision that ultimately relegated St Johnstone after Ronan Hale slammed home the spot-kick.
And it could yet have severe consequences for Dundee, who now go into Sunday’s final round of matches still in danger of dropping into the dreaded play-off spot.
The fact that Dens boss Tony Docherty passed on media duties to assistant Stuart Taylor after the 1-1 draw spoke volumes about the contentious decision, which was awarded for a highly-debatable handball from Antonio Portales.
‘The manager chapped the ref’s door but I don’t know what was said,’ declared Taylor.
‘I think it’s a great talking point for everyone again after the last couple of weeks so there’s no point me saying any more.
Ronan Hale turns away to celebrate scoring late penalty, leaving Dundee players dejected
Dundee striker Simon Murray can’t hide his anguish over the contentious late decision
Ronan Hale makes no mistake with the penalty which earned County a 1-1 draw
‘There’s confusion and disbelief, but they’re a great bunch of boys and they’re robust.’
Taylor, whose team had taken the lead through Scott Tiffoney’s 55th minute goal, remains confident that his players can do their bit away to doomed St Johnstone this weekend and retain their Premiership status.
‘It’s in our hands at this moment in time,’ he said. ‘We’re in a good position and if we take care of Sunday’s game we’ll be fine.
‘Credit where it’s due, the Ross County goalkeeper made some great saves.
‘The positive for us is we asked the lads to be brave, be creative and they did that because we hemmed them in at times.’
Hale fired home his 11th league goal of the season to take County’s survival fight down to the final day when they need to beat Motherwell at Dingwall.
County boss Don Cowie claimed he didn’t get a good look at the game’s defining moment, but felt his side – who came into the contest off the back of a seven-game losing run – were worthy of a point regardless.
‘I’m not sure,’ he said of the penalty award. ‘I didn’t see an infringement at the time so I wasn’t claiming because I didn’t see anything.
Scott Tiffoney fires home the 55th minute goal that looked to have secured Dundee’s survival
Tiffoney skips away in delight after thinking he had guaranteed Dundee’s safety in Premiership
Now both Dundee and County have been left praying things go their way on Sunday
‘I’ve not seen it from a really good angle.
‘What will probably frustrate Dundee will be the manner of it. They win first contact and the ball is going out of the box.
‘But his arm is out and, by the letter of the law, it’s probably a penalty.
‘There was no danger for them so that’s probably why they’ll be frustrated.
‘We were the better team in the first half but then after we lost the goal we ended up with five attackers on.
‘It was important we stopped the run of form we were on and the way we got the point will give us a lift.’
