Derry City boss claims referee snubbed his handshake after frustrating UCD stalemate

DECLAN DEVINE claimed match referee, John McLoughlin refused to shake his hand after Derry City's frustrating stalemate with UCD at Brandywell.
Derry boss, Declan Devine wasn't happy with the referee after Friday night's game.Derry boss, Declan Devine wasn't happy with the referee after Friday night's game.
Derry boss, Declan Devine wasn't happy with the referee after Friday night's game.

The Derry City boss was bitterly disappointed his side failed to make further ground on third placed Bohemians as they were held by the resolute Dubliners who snatched their first point on the road this season.

While Devine accepted his side had no one to blame but themselves for the result having missed a host of chances during the game, he was far from happy with the performance of the referee, insisting that 'respect works two ways'.

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The match official certainly didn't endear himself to the Derry supporters as a section booed him off at the final whistle, taking umbrage to his decision to stop the game to book a UCD player while Derry appeared to be mounting a promising attack late in the game as they chased a winner.

And Devine claimed afterwards that the referee had refused to accept his offer of a handshake at the end of the match.

"I've never ever had a referee who didn't shake my hand after the game," he said. "I've never had a referee who refused to shake my hand," he reiterated. "It's a new one for me.

"I asked the (referee) assessor about it and he told me to 'clear off' so there has to be a common ground here. Respect works two ways.

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"I fully appreciate it's a difficult job but we didn't draw the game tonight because of the referee. We drew the game tonight because we didn't take our chances."

"I would be even more worried if we didn't create any chances. We were wasteful as a team. A lot of people missed chances and it was crying out for someone to just grab it by the scruff in the final third and be clinical."

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