David Healy has questioned “strange decisions” as Linfield conceded two late goals in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with RFS in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off.
The Latvians scored in the 88th and 96th minutes after Stephen Fallon and Joel Cooper put Linfield two goals up.
Blues boss Healy admitted he had “mixed emotions” ahead of the second leg at Windsor Park in Belfast.
“Their first goal should never have been a corner,” he told Linfield TV.
“I could clearly see, I was standing next to the official and had actually given up on the moment because I had just assumed that it was going to be a goal kick. Then he points to the corner.
“In football, of course, you get strange decisions. We didn’t deal with the corner and got punished.”
Healy added his team “didn’t do enough” to stop Ziga Lipuscek’s last-gasp equaliser which denied Linfield, who are aiming to become the first Irish Premiership side to reach the group stage of European competition, a famous win.
However the former Northern Ireland striker said the “application and attitude” of his players was “incredible” as the Blues look to land the 2.9m euro windfall that would come with qualification.
“The last goal, again, my over-riding disappointment with that is we make the first mistake and then it lands at the centre half on the edge of the box and we don’t do enough to get to the ball and stop the shot.
“It was the type of game that we assumed it was going to be. We scored two brilliant goals, got ourselves on the front foot but probably did tire in the last 15, 20 minutes of the game.
“I wouldn’t say they took control of it, but they started playing a lot longer and getting the ball into the box.”
Healy added he was proud of his players as they challenged the hosts in stifling conditions in Riga.
“Before the game if it had been that type of result maybe we could have been happy about it but [I have] mixed emotions,” he said.
“So pleased and proud of the players, each and every one of them gave so much in testing conditions and we have got to remain positive, upbeat.
“We go back to Windsor next week with everything to play for. We are more than well in the tie, I think it is just the way it has transpired is disappointing.”
