St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin blamed referee Don Robertson as his team missed out on a place in the Scottish Premiership’s top six by just two goals.
Goodwin believed the referee’s decision to award Hamilton a free-kick late in the game after Joe Shaughnessy had tangled with David Moyo ultimately cost his team.
From the resultant free kick, Kyle Munro headed the home side level, cancelling out Jamie McGrath’s first-half penalty.
And with St Johnstone winning at home to Ross County, it is them and not St Mirren who now take the final spot in the top half of the table following the league split.
Goodwin was sent off after the final whistle for arguing about the decision and he explained afterwards: “I got booked for disagreeing with the initial foul and then sent off at the end because I disagreed with the decision.
“There was no bad language or anything. It was purely just a case of I think the referee has cost us today.
“I think he’s cost us a top-six place and far too many times we find ourselves sitting here talking about the standard of refereeing.
“It’s disappointing because I don’t like talking about officials and people will be listening to me thinking that it’s sour grapes on my part.
“It’s not. At the end of the day, in my opinion having played centre half myself that is not a free-kick.
“We’re speaking about referees far too often after games unfortunately. And Don has cost us there today.”
Hamilton still slipped to the bottom of the table as a result of Kilmarnock’s win over Motherwell but boss Brian Rice was not too downhearted.
He said: “I think that never-say-die spirit is what I get from the boys every week. It is in our DNA here. I am absolutely delighted with them.
“We took chances, went for it and I don’t think anyone could begrudge us a point.
“I know the boys will keep going. I think everyone knows we will be fighting right to the end.”
