'They now know how to boil the kettle': Darren Murphy says ref' respect is one-way

Finn Harps manager Darren Murphy says communication channels between managers and officials in the League of Ireland have to improve.

Murphy was speaking in the wake of a 1-1 draw with UCD at Finn Park on Thursday night.

The Harps boss had no complaints over a first-half red card for Sean O'Donnell on a night when Success Edogun's goal earned a point after Jake Doyle put UCD in front.

Murphy, however, fumed over a decision in the second half when Harps 'keeper Tim Hiemer was penalised for handling the ball outside his penalty area.

Referee Alan Patchell awarded a free kick on the advice of assistant referee Richard Storey, but footage appeared to show that Hiemer was well inside the box.

“The free kick in the second half was outrageous,” Murphy said. “Decisions like that could cost people jobs.

“If you're making a decision like that, it has to be 100% certain. You can't guess. That one was a guess.

“If he was 100% certain, he wouldn't have got it so wrong. We aren't talking about milimetres here; we are talking a yard.

“Emotions are still high. If I make poor decisions in selecting a team, I am held accountable and that's the hardest part. We put so much into a game and that decision could've cost us. That is the part that I find hardest.”

Murphy attempted to show a still image, sent to him by his own video analyst, to fourth official Alan Franklin, but was ordered to sit down. Murphy's assistant, Kevin McHugh, and goalkeeping coach Eamon Curry also voiced their displeasure with Curry sent off for his reaction.

“Respect is a two-way thing and they can't always feel that they are hard done by,” Murphy said.

“I have yet to get an apology for the mistake. I can understand why the respect thing was brought in, but it has now gone too far.

“You can't even ask a question. I'm telling the truth and I am getting punished.

“I think that they now know how to boil the kettle, if truth be told. They just ignore you and the first response is they'll give a card.

“For what it was brought in to do, it has actually gone the other way. It is actually getting more of the dugouts involved because of the response that you get.

“Any time you question a decision it's: 'Sit down or you'll get a card'. That's the response. That now is the norm to dry and defuse a situation. It's complete bonkers.

“I'm not the only manager saying this. Decisions, whether the officials want to agree with me or not, can cost managers jobs. That is the cold hard reality of it – and that decision was a poor, poor decision.

“I don't blame the referee for giving it because he is taking the word of his assistant. The assistant has to be up with play to make the call and he wasn't. If he was, he would've seen that it was inside the box. That is just a simple law of physics. He wasn't up with play and he gambled.”