JOHNSTONE Burgh boss Jamie McKim believes his team was “robbed” in Saturday’s draw with Whitletts Victoria after a controversial penalty decision left him fuming.

McKim’s men were leading 3-2 in the closing stages of the game at Dam Park, only for the hosts to snatch a point through a disputed spot-kick.

Match referee Kai Skeoch ruled that Malky MacDonald handled the ball inside the 18-yard box, although McKim insists the Burgh defender’s arm was not in an unnatural position.

He told Gazette Sport: “The penalty decision at the end is an absolute disgrace.

“The referee is looking straight at it and has the best view of anybody on the pitch. He’s tried to explain the rule to me after the game and has totally contradicted himself.

“He said that if the ball comes off another player and bounces up, it’s not a penalty but if it bounces up off the floor and hits his arm, it is a penalty. He said it didn’t hit anyone’s leg or anything but the replay clearly shows it did.

“For the life of me, I don’t know why he has given it. The nonsense he was hitting me with after the game was pathetic. We were robbed on Saturday.”

Burgh had raced into a 2-0 lead, thanks to well-worked goals that were finished by Brian Connor and Cammy McNeil, but Whitletts scored twice in as many minutes during the second half to draw level.

Connor put Burgh ahead again late on, before that controversial penalty denied the visitors a win.

McKim said: “It’s a blow when you concede two goals quickly but they were applying massive pressure on us and, when you come back and show the character to go ahead, you’re thinking the game is yours.

“To have it taken away by that decision is hard to take.

“We showed that we are a better side than them, which is good going when you consider where they are in the table and the budget they have.

“After the game, I saw real togetherness in the dressing room and I want them to bottle that feeling. We need to use this frustration to drive us on.”

The result extended Burgh’s unbeaten run to eight games but that momentum will now be interrupted after this Saturday’s match at Maryhill was postponed.

McKim’s men are due to return to action on February 12, when Muirkirk visit Keanie Park.