Caley Thistle midfielder Ross Draper has refuted Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes’ claim he conned referee Willie Collum to earn a penalty in his side’s 3-1 Premiership win against the Dons on Monday.
McInnes was angry about the award early in the second half at the Caledonian Stadium, when Aberdeen defender Ash Taylor was adjudged to have fouled Draper, despite there appearing to be no contact between the players.
Inverness midfielder Greg Tansey, a January transfer target for the Dons, scored the penalty to put Caley Jags 2-1 ahead.
The incident prompted a furious reaction from McInnes after the match, with the Dons manager saying: “It’s clearly not a penalty. Their player has tried to con the referee and he’s conned him.
“It’s a dive, there’s simply no contact there. He’s gone down under no contact and the referee has assumed there is contact.”
Draper was adamant he had been fouled and said: “There was contact with Taylor’s boot and mine.
“To say I’ve bought it, I don’t think so. There was contact in the penalty area. I thought it was a penalty. That’s me being honest. If he thinks it’s a dive or I’ve bought it then say so.
“Players who flick a leg out and fall over, that’s buying a penalty.
“It was nothing like that. Their player took a wild swing in the box and I was entitled to go down. I stand by it and there were no complaints from Ash Taylor.”
Collum was again at the centre of controversy, having wrongly awarded the Dons a late penalty for a handball by Danny Devine in the sides’ last meeting at Pittodrie in December, with Adam Rooney netting to secure a 2-2 draw.
Draper conceded the Dons should have been awarded a penalty on Monday, when former Caley Jags captain Graeme Shinnie was fouled by Lewis Horner in the second half.
The Englishman felt Collum’s failure to award the Reds a penalty highlighted further inconsistency, and he added: “Shinnie went down in an identical situation at the other end – they were very similar.
“There was contact for mine but if he gives mine he has to give the other, which is probably the problem.
“It’s tough job and referees can’t get everything right.
“We were unhappy with the one given when the ball hit Danny Devine in the chest at their place and it took a few weeks for us to get over it.
“We thought we were robbed of an extra two points that day. But you have to get on with it.
“Aberdeen are pressing for the title and need to win every game.
“To lose against us on Monday night has knocked them back a bit.
“Maybe that’s their frustration.”