MANAGER Paul Trollope refused to blame a controversial decision in the 12th minute for his side's defeat against the Posh according to the Peterborough Evening Telegraph..

Chris Westwood appeared to block Rickie Lambert's goal-bound header with his arm following a free-kick, but referee Carl Boyeson waved the penalty appeals away.

Trollope told the Telegraph: "It was clearly a penalty and if the decision had gone in our favour it might have been a different game.

"But I can't use that decision as the reason why we lost. We didn't play very well going forward in the first half and that proved our undoing.

"Peterborough are a very good side and we knew we would have to be at our best to beat them, but we weren't.

"They have excellent forward players who played as well as we expected, but we didn't put their defence under enough pressure."

Posh boss Darren Ferguson had sympathy for his opposite number. He would not have complained had Boyeson awarded the spot-kick.

Ferguson said: "I could certainly see why they were appealing. Sometimes you get the breaks at the right time.

"The decisions have gone against us in the past, but this time it worked in our favour."

Manager Darren Ferguson, a man who doesn't just have his feet firmly on the ground, he appears to have set them in concrete, is not anticipating perfection from now on in, but one could sense after this hard-fought victory over Rovers, a little more personal excitement than normal, even if he didn't betray much emotion to the press corps.

"If we win the last seven matches, I would have to say that would be a good season," Ferguson announced in such a downbeat manner, headline hunters brought up in the Barry Fry era were seen to tear their hair out", the Telegraph added.

Of course this Posh manager has players who make emphatic statements where it matters - on the pitch.

Aaron Mclean's clinical finish 20 minutes from time at the Memorial Stadium last Saturday was the most obvious one in this match, while George Boyd dazzled and delighted for 45 minutes, but equally impressive was the central defensive partnership of Charlie Lee and Chris Westwood which totally blotted out the threat of League One's top scorer and his in-form partner.

Rickie Lambert and Daryl Duffy have been seen threatening with menace in recent weeks, but they were so ineffective in this contest, Posh keeper Joe Lewis was not required to make a solitary save of significance.

The Telegraph report added: "To his credit Rovers manager Paul Trollope resisted the predictable managerial line of blaming the referee alone for his defeat. He accepted that his side were second best for most of the match.

"That was most notably true in the first half once a rocky beginning had been survived. Boyd proved too elusive for the home defence (presumably Steve Elliott was slimmer when Posh tried to sign him) and Mackail-Smith was too fast.

"The Posh top scorer should have scored twice in the first period. Two superb passes from Russell Martin and Boyd released him on 24 minutes, but Rovers' keeper Steve Phillips saved with his legs.

"Boyd saw his own 20-yard lob tipped over by Phillips, but the Posh form dipped after the break on a sub-standard pitch which seemed to affect Dean Keates' passing in particular.

"There was still little threat on the Posh goal even with the belated introduction of pace in the shape of Joe Kuffour. David Pipe headed the obligatory chance in injury time wide."

While Trollope did not complain about the Posthdefeat, Crewe boss Gudjohn Thordarson told the Crewe and Nantwich Guardian that he felt "poor officiating cost his side victory" in a pulsating clash with Rovers last week..

The Alex boss was fuming after Andy Woolmer disallowed Joel Grant's 44th-minute strike for a marginal offside decision apparently against Marlon Broomes.

The Guardian added: "And if he wasn't the Ice Man, the blood would have been boiling as the referee got caught up in the six-yard box and blocked Clayton Donaldson's goal-bound drive amidst a late melee.

"What on earth was the referee doing on the corner of the six-yard box in a situation like that?" said Thordarson.

"I don't bother about referees, I'm too old for that but bad decisions keep hurting us.

"We were disappointed with the decision to disallow the goal and the DVD shows there was no offside.

"For their goal Steve Schumacher kicked the ball against their player and they got the throw-in."

Gutted with those decisions, Thordarson was still pleased with a point against what the Guardian described as "one of the better sides to visit The Alexandra Stadium this season."

"You had the feeling Woolmer was losing control in the second-half as several spats and tussles added to increasing frustration.

"Broomes headed one Billy Jones delivery a whisker wide before another led to the breakthrough on 71 minutes.

"Donaldson received and whacked the underside of the bar with the rebound falling to Dennis Lawrence who tapped home for 1-0.

"Unfortunately the lead lasted just three minutes due to that contentious throw-in.

"Sub Kuffour latched on to the ball and hit the foot of the far post with Darryl Duffy reacting first to put away the loose ball".