Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean has questioned the decision made by referee Mark Clattenburg to award a late penalty in his side's 3-2 loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage yesterday.
The under-fire official pointed to the spot when Rovers defender Grant Hanley tangled with Aaron Hughes in the area with Bobby Zamora stepping up to fire home the winner three minutes from regular time.
Kean said it was perhaps a poor decision but did not take his anger out on Clattenburg as some other managers have done in recent times.
"I think he's a good referee and that's why I never spoke to him in an aggressive manner, I just wanted to get his take on it," said Kean.
"He felt as though there was enough to award a penalty. There were a pair of hands around Aaron Hughes but it was for a short space of time.
"It wasn't aggressive or powerful because Aaron Hughes never even went to ground.
"Mark was fine when I spoke to him and got his point across.
"I got his take on it, went away to look at the images and then went back to see him again and said 'well, I don't think it was as aggressive as you thought, Mark'.
"I told him that maybe when you look at it again you might see it from my point of view.
"He said 'I take your point, thanks for coming in the manner and spirit you did'. I respect his decision and referees have a hard job."
