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Walsall boss Mat Sadler insisted his team deserved to be awarded two penalties as they slipped to a first defeat in nine league games on Saturday afternoon.
Playing in front of a bumper crowd at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, the Saddlers fell two goals down as visitors Barrow netted via Elliot Newby and Charlie McCann either side of a Lewis Shipley red card.
Battling back to secure a goal of their own via Daniel Kanu, Walsall saw a whole host of chances go begging as they couldn't break down their determined opponents, who made it five games without defeat.
Speaking to the assembled media shortly after full-time, Sadler, who was recently named League Two Manager of the Month for September, directly criticised referee Benjamin Speedie, insisting he had a poor game.
Sadler said: "We should've had a penalty on Aden to start with at nil-nil. I see pulling shirts all of the time in the box, but it was literally right in front of him.
"So I don't know how that isn't given because it was a very easy one for him to give.
"The referee misses another penalty, which was a very poor decision again. These things matter, and I thought he had a poor game today."
Sadler didn't only criticise the match officials, he was also unhappy with elements of his teams' performance, he continued: "I'm disappointed with the defending for the first goal.
"I think that's fair to say because we had to prevent that. I do actually think it was offside on the flick after I watched it back, but we didn't get that, and we had to defend it better.
"I think that's fair to say because we had to prevent that. I do actually think it was offside on the flick after I watched it back, but we didn't get that, and we had to defend it better.
"We rallied maybe five minutes worth of the game becoming a bit scrappy, but it was hard to be too displeased with anything that I saw.
"But we peppered the goal and the keeper has held firm."
"But we peppered the goal and the keeper has held firm."
Quotes: Express & Star.