Dunfermline Athletic manager James McPake wants more consistency from referees when it comes to Chris Mochrie.
The Pars playmaker has been the target of some meaty challenges in recent weeks as opposition players take turns to bring him down.
It took until midway through the second half, and a fair number of fouls on Mochrie, before the first card was dished out last Saturday.
McPake is well aware of how tough it is for the officials, labelling it “the hardest job in football”.
Mochrie joined Dunfermline in the summer on loan from Dundee United and has been a standout.
Even amid the fouls, and finishing on the losing side, last week he was the best player on the park.
‘Common theme’
McPake has called on the officials to offer him a bit more protection.
“It’s becoming a common theme,” he said. “In a lot of games you can see he’s been targeted.
“People will say that’s rich coming from me – I ended my own career with a tackle. I didn’t mean it, clearly. It was a tackle, no malice at all.
“But there’s things happening to Chris, cynical fouls.
“There has got to be a level of protection to every player – a level of consistency, is what I’m saying.”
McPake was clear that he is not having a go at any opposition side, who he knows will do what they have to do to win the game.
The Pars boss said it is something he can see building every week.
‘Bugbear’
“Clubs are sending people to every game and you can see he’s a massive threat wherever he picks the ball up on the pitch,” added McPake.
“Yeah, he’s getting a lot of on-field attention from the opposition. You just hope the referees are picking it up.
“The bugbear for me is you see things happening in the game.
“For example, I’ll go back to the booking that Sam Fisher got at Clyde when he jumps in front of the goalie, [stopping him] from kicking it quickly.
“I get why it’s a booking, I do – but nobody’s going to get hurt with Sam Fisher stopping the goalie kicking the ball quickly.
“Players, not just Chris, are going to get hurt if referees aren’t consistent with allowing things to go or taking a stance when you can see maybe a pattern happening.
“He’s a big boy now, he’s going to need to learn to take that – but I do think it’s certainly happening to him and I would hate to see it resulting in a bad injury.”
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