Frustrated Cami Brown, Glasgow Tigers team manager, was unhappy with the match referee as the Allied Vehicles-backed side skidded to a 49-40 defeat in the Cab Direct Championship clash at Plymouth Gladiators.
A dramatic Heat 14 turned out to be decisive with referee Barbara Horley excluding Tigers rider Jordan Jenkins after a crash with two rival racers, gifting the home side a 5-0 which all but wrapped up victory for Plymouth.
Brown (pictured) claimed: “The referee has cost us. That is probably the worst refereeing performance I have ever seen.”
He added: “Jack Smith was in front of Baek in Heat 5 and she said Jack wiped him out which was a lot of nonsense.
“Then Jordan was winning Heat 14 by a mile and James falls off. The referee then re-runs it after three laps despite Jordan being well ahead.
“The race is re-run. Baek falls and the race should have been stopped then but he actually hit Jordan who then lifts and careers into Joe Thompson. Then she puts both Plymouth riders back in the race.
“I also asked her about Ben Barker clearly moving at the start of Heat 11 but she said she didn’t see anything. I said she could look at the replays on TV but she wouldn’t, but she looked at the replays of Heat 14 three or four times.
“We should have gone into Heat 15 in a last heat decider at 42 each, exciting for the fans and the possibility of a Super Heat. The referee just ruined the meeting. We would have won that meeting tonight without those poor decisions.
“We are absolutely sick but we are not giving in yet. We will try and win everything now to stay in the play-off picture. There’s still a chance.”
Despite falling eight points down after Heat 9, Tigers fought back. Harris was outstanding again and broke the track record in Heat 1. Guests Jason Edwards (paid 10) and Jordan Jenkins (seven) were also excellent all night.
Brown added: “There were positives. I couldn’t ask for anymore from Jordan and Jason, they were exceptional.
“They really tried 100 per cent for us and we won’t forget that. We loved working with them and they were professional and quality all night.
“We never gave in all night. I waited to do the tactical substitute and that paid off.
“But we can look at this and that but we still lost and that hurts.
“It’s a long way down for bad refereeing decisions to cost us the match.”
Plymouth 49: Ben Barker 14, Dan Thompson 11+1, Alfie Bowtell 9+1, Patrick Baek 5+1, Jacob Hook 5.
Glasgow 40: Chris Harris 15, Jason Edwards 8+2, Jordan Jenkins 7, Anders Rowe 6, James Pearson 3, Jack Smith 1+1, Jody Scott 0.
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