DAVID Hopkin has blamed a mixture of refereeing decisions and missed chances for Morton’s disappointing defeat at Arbroath.

The Ton manager was frustrated seeing Peter Grant and Kyle Jacobs fail to convert gilt-edged opportunities in the first half before Bobby Linn put the home side 1-0 up with a stunning free-kick with 16 minutes to play.

Lewis Strapp was denied a last-minute equaliser after the winger was flagged for offside, but Hopkin believes 
the ‘goal’ should have stood.

He told the Tele: “You can’t come to places like Arbroath where we should have probably been 2-0 up in the first half and miss open goals from two yards and expect to win the game. Even in the second half we’ve had two or three really good chances and we didn’t take them.

“It was bitterly disappointing, but we knew it was going to be a tough game. 

“It wasn’t a great spectacle as it was two teams making sure that they didn’t get beaten. It had a 0-0 written all over it with how the two sides came into the game and I think that they go 1-0 up with what is their first shot in the second half.

“It was a well struck free-kick, but Sam Ramsbottom has got to do better for it. 

“I’d need to see our goal again but I think that Lewis Strapp was onside.

“We always knew it was going to be a fight and a battle and I said to the players at half-time that it was either going to be a set play or a mistake that separated the sides.”

The Ton gaffer also questioned Willie Collum’s decision to award Arbroath the match-winning free-kick.

He added: “What separated the sides is one contentious free-kick.

“Cameron Blues actually won the ball when the foul was given, you could see it from the dugout.

“The decision went against us but we need to keep plugging away as we’ve still got a relatively young squad who for the majority stood up to a very tough test.

“It was two very competitive teams coming up against each other and we’ve lost out due to a bit of brilliance by Bobby Linn.”