Accrington boss almost wishes he could retire after more referee frustration

The Stanley boss felt his side were robbed in last night's 2-1 defeat at home to Ipswich Town, in which the visitors came back from behind to win after captain Seamus Conneely had been controversially sent off just 16 minutes into the game at the Wham Stadium.

That proved to be the biggest turning point on the night, as goalkeeper Nathan Baxter saved James Norwood's subsequent penalty, only for Ipswich to capitalise on their one-man advantage, scoring twice in four minutes just before half-time to overturn Dion Charles' fourth minute opener.

Coleman admitted he should have reacted with changes sooner after Conneely's contentious dismissal for a challenge on Troy Parrott in the area, which should have led to the 'double jeopardy' rule being applied by referee Bobby Madley and only the penalty awarded - not the red card as well.

The Stanley chief felt that decision ultimately cost his team, and not for the first time this season.

"He (the referee) said he (Conneely) has played the man and made no attempt to play the ball, which I'm dumbfounded at, at best," said Coleman.

"That rule was brought in so you don't get punished twice. Well, we're going to get punished three times now (with Conneely's suspension)

"I've lost faith in the appeal.

"I feel like no matter what I do, that no matter what our lads do, we very, very rarely get them in our favour. I wish we did, I wish it balanced itself out. It doesn't. And part of me wishes I was 12 years older and I could give this up because it's like Groundhog Day, and part of me wishes I was retired and out of it, because you can't keep getting served up what we're getting served up, and take it."

Coleman said he would be making yet another phone call to Mike Jones, head of refereeing at the EFL, to voice his frustrations and concerns.

"I'll speak to Mike Jones and he'll agree with me," he continued.

"What else can he say to me. Can he disagree with me? He's not going to defend the indefensible, and he doesn't. Fair play to him, he's a good guy.

"But he's got his hands full with inadequate decisions. I won't be the only one tonight who's complaining about a decision. Mine won't be the only phone call he fields tomorrow. So how do you stop it? Get better referees, get better coaching, get better training?

"There will be 101 excuses as to why - Covid is stopping one-to-one coaching? I don't know.

"I wouldn't mind if with all these decisions you got some and you didn't get some. We don't get anything.

"I tell a lie, we possibly should have given a penalty away in the first half against Doncaster in the first minute, a month ago, and that's possibly the only major decision that's gone in our favour in the last four or five months, and yet I could rattle 10 off against. Both penalties against Wigan, one for, one against - one inside the box, ours, not given; one outside the box (Wigan's) given. Penalty against Shrewsbury, not given. Blatant. Sean McConville getting sent off for trying to control the ball. It goes on and on. So many really poor decisions that you're left dumbfounded.

"Last week, the Crewe goal.

"You carry on going. It doesn't make it right, but what do you do.

"I can't pack in, I love the game too much. I love the lads too much. But you feel so downtrodden.

"All I've ever craved from referees is fairness. I don't see the game through one eye, I just want us to be given what we deserve."

Ipswich were watched by former Burnley midfielder and Accrington Stanley manager Paul Cook, who will take charge of the team today after being named as Paul Lambert's successor.

"Cookie's a mate of mine and I speak to him most days," Coleman added.

"Sometimes in football you're better off being lucky than good and if that's any indication of his fortune as Ipswich manager there'll be a place in the Championship and the Premier League because if he carries on like that... you can't get any more luck than what Ipswich had tonight.

"Fair play to them, they go on and we have to lick our wounds."