Daylight robbery was how Arbroath gaffer Dick Campbell described Annan’s smash-and-grab win at Gayfield on Saturday.
It was a painful defeat which brought an end to the Lichties’ six-game unbeaten run and put a serious dent in their League Two title hopes.
Quite how the hosts managed to lose a game they dominated in terms of possession, territorial advantage and chances created is one of those mysteries which makes the outcome of football matches so difficult to predict.
Campbell was unhappy with a number of refereeing decisions, most notably a rejected penalty claim, an unpunished pass-back and an injury time scramble in which the ball seemed to cross the line before the Annan keeper hauled it back to safety.
He did concede, nevertheless, that it was his side’s failure to capitalise on their superiority which led to the outcome.
Campbell said: “Major decisions went against us. But, we were so far on top that we should have won the game.
“Our quality in front of goal wasn’t as good as it should have been. No-one would deny we created enough chances to win three games today, but we didn’t take them.”
Arbroath got off to a perfect start, going ahead in the 12th minute after a free-flowing move which began with goalkeeper Ricky Gomes’s quick throw out and ended with a Bobby Linn run and cross into the danger area which Steven Doris turned into the net.
The Lichties continued to dominate with Linn, Eddie Ferns, Omar Kader and Ryan McCord all coming close.
But there was a shock for the home side in the 39th min when ex-Lichtie Darren Ramsey equalised from the penalty spot after Nathan Flanagan was brought down in the box.
Arbroath continued to press in the second half but were caught cold in the 68th minute when Raffi Kristian rose to head home from the Annan side’s first corner.
Keeper Blair Currie then pulled off a series of outstanding saves as wave after wave of attack was launched on the visiting defence.
As the game moved into injury-time another cross deep into the box was sent goalwards and Currie managed to block it although the Lichties forwards claimed the ball had crossed the line, but referee Scott Millar was having none of it.