By Sean Saranczuk
March 11 2003

Dundee United manager Ian McCall claimed his side were denied a penalty award which robbed them of victory in their clash with Hibernian at Easter Road. Dundee United manager Ian McCall claimed his side were denied a penalty award which robbed them of victory in their clash with Hibernian at Easter Road.

The Taysiders conceded an early goal to Tom McManus but battled back to deservedly equalise with a Jim McIntyre header in the 69th minute in the 1-1 draw.

Moments later, as the visitors went for the kill, United substitute Billy Dodds seemed to be fouled in the Hibs penalty area by Mathias Doumbe but referee David Somers allowed play to continue.

McCall said: "I must say the Billy Dodds incident was a stone wall penalty kick. You don't get much clearer than that.

"I don't know what the referee was thinking, whether he played advantage or not, but all I know is that it was a penalty kick.

"I spoke to the ref after the game, but in a nice way. David is a nice guy and I think he wanted to give a penalty but maybe played advantage, but why he would do that I just don't know."

The penalty claim aside, United missed several chances to take all three points and McCall said: "If we had won four or five one it wouldn't have flattered us.

"And you don't get that many chances at Easter Road to dominate a game as much as we did.

"When Jim Paterson missed an early chance to equalise with a free header from four or five yards I was worried that it was going to be just one of those games that we weren't going to score.

"But I counted six or seven good chances after that and eventually we got a good goal through a great Paterson cross which Jim McIntyre could hardly miss.

"It's good news that we are off the bottom of the league but it's tempered by the fact that we dominated Hibs but couldn't get the three points."

Hibs manager Bobby Williamson was happy with his team's first point in six league games but refuted claims that the Easter Road men had been fortunate to escape with a draw.

A defiant Williamson said: "I'm delighted with the point, but luck? No, I don't think we were lucky.

"We got our goal and should have added to it although, once the game settled down, United seemed to take the initiative which was disappointing, especially since we were at home.

"But I couldn't have asked for any more from our players, apart from maybe a wee bit more movement and guile at the edge of their box.

"We never got that and unfortunately for us we conceded."