Derry City get 'raw deal' from match officials claims Ruaidhri Higgins

City midfielder Sadou Diallo was given his marching orders by referee Rob Hennessy after just 24 minutes for a late tackle on Shelbourne's Shane Farrell who theatrically went to ground about 35 yards from the Derry goalmouth.

Having reviewed the incident, Higgins was adamant the challenge didn't warrant a straight red card.

"I've looked at it back and it's not a red card," insisted the Derry boss. "It's not high. It's a wee bit late. It hasn't endangered the player. It's not two-footed so I think, given all those things, it's extremely harsh."

Diallo was the third Derry player to be shown a straight red card in the club's last five league matches and Higgins claims his team have been unfairly treated when it comes to the major decisions in games this season – decisions which potentially cost them the title!

"I'm not going to do it but I could sit here and name 10 big decisions throughout the season that have hurt us and cost us but we don't have the time for that," he added.

"It's been far too many. Listen, I'd get myself in trouble if I say too much. I think we have got an extremely raw deal."

Shane McEleney was sent for an early shower in the 1-1 draw against Shamrock Rovers last month before Ronan Boyce was shown two yellow cards in quick succession during the damaging 1-0 loss to Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.

Those two results played a significant part in derailing Derry's title charge and while challenging Rovers for the league was a race that was already run prior to Friday's clash with Shels, the dismissal of Diallo ultimately put paid to the team's hopes of moving to within a point of the leaders who now have two games in hand and a three point lead.

"Shane's one I can possibly see why he's given that, even though he's barely touched the player," said Higgins. "The Ronan Boyce one isn't a red card and tonight's isn't a red card. That's the way things are at the minute.

"He's (Diallo) obviously extremely disappointed. He knows he was slightly late but it's not a red card. He's slightly late but it's not reckless. If we give a red card for that then there's three or four red cards every game.

"A few of their staff members have said they didn't think it was a red card either but I've said enough on that. They've (controversial refereeing decisions) cost us loads of points but the games finished there's nothing we can do about it now. We can't replay the game. There have been key decisions this year that have really, really cost us.

"Our performance in Sligo for example was below par. I'm not sitting here defending that but it's 0-0 and we have a stonewall penalty turned down. Then Ronan Boyce gets sent off a couple of minutes later so big decisions have cost us. We've reviewed them all and we've had a raw deal."

Albeit they were a man down, Derry simply didn't create any clear cut chances of their own to win the game and for the third time in their last four league matches they've failed to score.

Conceding that the league title is now firmly out of reach, Higgins is hoping his team can secure the single point needed from their final two games (against Cork and St Pat’s) to qualify for European competition next season - an accomplishment he states is the 'minimum requirement' for Derry City.

"Absolutely, it's the minimum requirement for this football club now with the way things are and we need to go and finish that job off. The league title is obviously out of reach but we had a good run in Europe this year and we want more of it next year."

Friday's match wasn't one for the purists and Higgins admits it was 'stressful' watching from the sidelines given Shels would've closed to within two points of his team had Jack Moylan's second half goal not been ruled out for handball.

"Stressful," he responded when asked to sum up his feelings at the final whistle. "I think we started the game quite well and the period before Sadou got sent off it was quite even and I thought we started the game the better team. There was a period it evened out and then when you go down to 10 men with 70 minutes to play you would probably settle for a point at that stage.

"Obviously we came into the game looking for all three but given the circumstances, the players were brave, they stood up to the challenge and didn't give up any real chances and showed real discipline and character to get a point because if they had of won the game it would've brought it to two points with two games to go. So I think, in the circumstances, it's a decent point."

Defensively Derry stood up to the challenge against 11 men and it was a 16th clean sheet of the season for the Foylesiders and third in succession.

"We didn't give up any clear cut chances. Moylan's header at the back post, possibly but I thought the leadership throughout the team, people putting their bodies on the line and our defensive organisation because Shelbourne have probably been the form team in the league over recent times and Moylan, (Harry) Wood and Farrell, these types of players can open the door at any stage but we kept them out.

"Obviously we wanted to take them on and beat them 11 v 11 but as I said, once we got reduced to 10 men we stood up and embraced the challenge and got what I think is possibly a valuable point."