Lee Bell questioned why inexperienced Andrew Humphries was made the referee for Crewe’s 3-0 defeat against AFC Wimbledon after a controversial red card swung the game in the hosts’ favour.
The match was turned on its head in the 39th minute when Jamie Knight-Lebel was sent off for a foul on Omar Bugiel inside the penalty area, with Matty Stevens converting the resulting spot-kick.
Jake Reeves added a second in first-half stoppage time before Stevens took his tally to 15 for the season 10 minutes after the break.
The visitors went toe-to-toe with Johnnie Jackson’s side during the opening 39 minutes, and Bell suggested that the role of referee should have gone to somebody with more experience.
“I thought it was a very even game after 39 minutes, one I probably thought we edged,” he said.
“Then obviously the referee has decided to give a penalty and a sending-off which has really affected us.
“They got a second one, fair play to them, they ran out 3-0 winners and we will go home.
“I am going to go and speak to him (the referee), I am going to speak to the people that put the referee here tonight and ask them why they made that decision.
“He has only done five league games and a real top-of-the-table clash where we could move up a few places, he has turned up tonight.
“No idea (why I was booked by the referee), I assume dissent but you get done for dissent when you say something back to somebody and nobody was speaking to me, I have no idea.
“They (the Crewe players) know that something has gone heavily against them tonight and what I thought they did do is give a really good showing after the sending-off.”
The result was crucial to both club’s hopes of promotion to League One, with the result leaving the Dons in fourth, one point off the automatic-promotion spots with a game in hand, and Crewe in eighth.
Jackson believes Stevens benefitted from not starting the 0-0 draw against Accrington last Saturday after his double.
“Pleased for Matty, obviously he didn’t start on Saturday and he wants to play every game but up until now he has played a huge amount of football and we need him to be at his freshest,” he said.
“I think he benefitted from not starting on Saturday, I thought he benefitted from that tonight and he looked razor sharp.
“He took his penalty well, took his second goal really well and obviously he is crucial to what we are doing.
“He has scored a lot of goals, he comes alive in the penalty box and he is a real predator as a finisher, so it is great to have him and the other guys up there.
“It is important that our strikers are firing. A comfortable win again, the first 20 to 25 minutes they came and made it difficult for us. I was pleased to get the second goal to be honest.”
