Dean Smith fumes at penalty denial

Walsall manager Dean Smith was left baffled after Walsall were denied another penalty at Oldham to continue their spot kick drought.

The Saddlers haven't had a penalty since Darren Byfield's successful conversion in a 2-1 win over Huddersfield in September 2009 – 87 games ago.

They were left frustrated again after referee Darren Drysdale waved away claims when Dean Furman felled Jon Macken in the second half of yesterday's 1-1 draw at Oldham.

Smith said: "There's another one which will go into my dossier of penalties we should have had but what can you say?

"It was a definite penalty. I don't know why he didn't give it. The referee said he got the ball but Jon's got across the guy, touched the ball and been brought down – it's a blatant penalty."

The Saddlers boss had sympathy for Latics substitute Filipe Morais – who was sent off on 70 minutes for a lunge on Jordan Cook.

Smith said: "I thought it was a harsh sending off and I thought there were strange decisions all game.

"Paul Dickov, the Oldham boss, and I were nodding with each other at the wrong decisions which should have been given the other way.

"Their lad goes into win the ball and there's no malice in the tackle, it's a foul but he's got sent off for it."

"We've also had a bit of luck in our favour with the goal which was disallowed from Warren Feeney."

The point edged the fifth-bottom Saddlers ahead in the race for League One survival and Smith shrugged off the disappointment of missing out on a vital win.

He said: "We worked really hard and we worthy of going 1-0 up but the disappointing thing for me was when they went down to 10 men we didn't keep the ball better.

"It was a great strike to equalise and we're disappointed but it's a point gained towards our total again."