ACCRINGTON Stanley boss Leam Richardson wants talks with referees’ chiefs this week to express concerns over decisions that are going against his team – after a wrongly disallowed goal cost them victory against Torquay on Saturday.

Will Hatfield found the net in the 86th minute of the 0-0 draw at home to the Gulls and television replays showed that the decision to rule out the goal for offside was incorrect.

Richardson, who revealed after the game that central defender Mark Hughes will almost certainly miss the rest of the season after tearing a calf muscle, feels a number of decisions have gone against his team recently and will seek a further explanation.

The boss was also aggrieved that Stanley were not awarded an early penalty in the 2-2 draw with Cheltenham seven days earlier, when the visitors were instead awarded a spot kick minutes later, and does not want such decisions to play a key part in their battle against relegation.

“We’re not Bradford with 15,000 fans calling for it, we just want things done right,” Richardson said.

“I will be seeking advice on the decisions that are going against us because I think they are costly and it affects too many people’s lives.

“The goal disallowed was embarrassing. The first time I didn’t think it was offside myself and looking back at the video it takes the wind out of your sails, because it is embarrassing.

“We’re getting a few decisions now, they’re adding up and they could be very costly.

“I had a brief word with the officials and they were very sure it was offside, but they’ll be very shocked and it will be interesting what explanation they’ve got because it wasn’t even close.”

Richardson admits frustration that Stanley have claimed only draws from their last three home games, despite feeling they should have won each match.

“It’s not could have, it’s should have really and there’s a big difference,” he said.

“We’re getting a little bit of bad luck. Against Southend their one and only shot was a great goal and we draw the game, Cheltenham don’t get into the game but manage to get a penalty against the run of play and score at the end, and this time we’ve had a goal disallowed.

“The first half was very lacklustre but we came out in the second half and were miles better.

“The onus is on us, we must win the game but I think we did enough to win.

“We took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and I don’t think they caused us that many problems.

“There are a lot of positives to take, the lads have come together really well in this last month.”

Meanwhile, Alan Knill believes Torquay’s point at Accrington has given his side a platform to build on after they avoided a club-record eighth straight defeat.

“I will take a point,” said Knill. “It was so important that if we didn’t win we didn’t lose and this stops the run of defeats and has given us something to build on.

“We have been working hard and put in a battling performance as you have to do at Accrington.

“We are trying to get confidence into the players to play their passing game and we showed that more.

“I don’t think either side did enough to win the game and neither side deserved to lose it. This has given us a glimmer of hope.”