Stockport County boss Dave Challinor criticised the officiating during their 4-1 loss to Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final, after Josh Dacres-Cogley was sent off and Adama Sidibeh’s goal was disallowed.
The English Football League have introduced the use of the Video Assistant Referee for play-off finals at Wembley this year, despite it not being used in the EFL during the regular season.
“I think we all felt at the back of our minds that there were going to be some decisions that are going to be controversial,” Challinor told Radio 5Live.
“When you are putting officials in charge that have never used VAR before in the biggest games of the season for League One, I’m not sure that’s a sensible choice.”
Right-back Dacres-Cogley, who joined County in January from Bolton, was shown a red card for a hair pull on Ibrahim Cissoko inside the box to concede a penalty – a decision made after the intervention of VAR.
The penalty was then converted by Ruben Rodrigues to give Bolton their 4-1 lead in the 94th minute.
“I think that’s an absolute joke of a decision,” Challinor said.
“That lad has played against his former club in probably one of the biggest games of his career and has been sent off for reaching out when he’s not even looking at the player.
“It’ll almost be an advocate of everyone growing their hair.
“Forget the score, forget the penalty – my duty is to the player. That will not only be something that lives with him for the rest of his career, it will get him a three-game ban for the start of next season, which is scandalous.”
The penalty was not the only decision tChallinor was annoyed by.
Sidibeh found the net in the 13th minute but saw an equaliser disallowed after a VAR intervention for a “careless foul” on George Johnston.
However, while Challinor disagreed with the decision, he does not believe it set Stockport’s fate.
He said: “I don’t think if the boot would have been on the other foot we would have got a free-kick or a penalty for it, yet because he scored, it got disallowed.
“Has it played a part in the game? Of course it has. Has it played a decisive part? I’m not going to say that at all.”
Challinor has led the Hatters to promotion twice, taking them from the National League to the third tier, but has come up short twice in the past two seasons.
In both campaigns, Stockport ended in third position but lost in the play-offs.
It was also the second time County have lost at the national stadium this season, having already suffered defeat against Luton Town in the EFL Trophy in April.