Simpson: Penalty was dubious

Macclesfield manager Gary Simpson admitted the penalty decision which saw his side triumph 1-0 over Bradford was "dubious".

The key moment of Tuesday night's League Two clash at Moss Rose came in the 65th minute when referee Rob Lewis pointed to the spot after Ross Draper was involved in a collision with Luke Oliver, even though he had appeared to have lost control of the ball. Lewis Chalmers duly converted from the spot. The decision came after the official had been far more reluctant to award a spot-kick in the 19th minute when Draper appeared to have been clipped by goalkeeper Matt Duke, losing his momentum as his chance on an open goal went begging. Simpson said: "To be fair we've got a dubious one there but the referee's made a rod for his own back by not giving us a penalty in the first half. "Ross Draper was definitely clipped and told me he just could not stay on his feet. It should have been a penalty and a red card and then it would have been a completely different game. "The lads are delighted to have beaten a team like Bradford. It shows what high esteem they're held in. They've got a far bigger budget at their club than us and can afford some quality individual players but we'll do it our way and they'll have to do it their way."