CAMERON Brannagan was left bemused by some of the refereeing decisions in Oxford United’s draw at home to Wycombe Wanderers.
Three penalties were awarded in the second half, after Ruben Rodrigues had given United the lead in the opening period.
Spot kicks were given to the Chairboys for a handball against Marcus McGuane – despite a similar incident against a Wycombe player in the first half not seeing a penalty awarded – and after James Beadle was adjudged to have brought down Brandon Hanlan.
Luke Leahy stuck away both penalties, before the U’s were given one of their own deep in stoppage time when Mark Harris was deemed to have been fouled just inside the box.
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After missing the previous two games due to illness, Brannagan was on as a substitute and converted from 12 yards to rescue a late point for his side.
Asked about the penalty incidents, Brannagan said: “A hundred per cent it was handball and Marcus knows that.
“It was a slip and those things happen, it was a mistake, but it happened in the first half and their player did the exact same thing, and nothing was given.
“I don’t quite understand it, and the second one, I don’t quite get how he’s given that to be quite honest. I think he was a bit unsure with the decision himself and he took a while to give it.
“I don’t know what a penalty is nowadays, and what isn’t. We just play the game and if the officials give it, we have to go with it.
“It’s a long old season and we take a point, and dust ourselves down.”
On the penalty that he scored for his fourth goal of the campaign, Brannagan said: “The opportunity came along at the end of the game and I did feel the pressure a bit obviously.
“But I was more than confident stepping up and luckily enough it went in the goal, and it was a good point in the end.”
Reflecting on the game as a whole, the midfielder added: “We can’t keep missing chances, we need to be clinical and confident when we get in them areas.
“I thought in the first half, the lads were great and created some great chances, but we just need to be clinical and put teams to bed when we go a goal up.
“We went 2-1 down and we never gave up, that’s the way we should be. It was frustrating to go 2-1 down to a sloppy decision, but I felt the boys reacted brilliantly.”
United head to Lincoln City on Tuesday night, and Brannagan feels he is fit enough to start the game following his sickness.
He said: “I’d have said I’d have been ready today, but that’s just the way I am. I want to play every game, but that’s just my love for the game. I want to help the team as much as possible.”
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