Aberdeen's Lewis Ferguson's bemoans refereeing decisions in Celtic game

Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson is adamant that it was officialdom rather than the endeavours of opponents Celtic that proved instrumental in Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat.

The result leaves Stephen Glass’s men without a victory in five league games going into their dare-not-lose Scottish Cup fifth round tie at Motherwell on Saturday. The Pittodrie side have picked up only two points since the winter shutdown but the 22-year-old believes but for poor calls from referee Willie Collum and his team, that total would have risen to at least three in midweek.

Ferguson’s third goal against Celtic this season, a header just after the hour that made it 2-2 as the home team produced a stirring second half fightback after going into the interval two down, counted for nothing with Jota making it 3-2 a minute later. The goal was given despite Liel Abada blocking off David Bates in the lead-up to the Postruguese winger powering through to batter a bouncing drive past Gary Woods. And to compound the sense of injustice for Ferguson, he is in no doubt his coming together with Matt O’Riley in the Celtic box later on should have resulted in Collum pointing to the spot.

“We were excellent in the second half and deserved a point,” the Scotland international said. “To get done by a goal like that, where it looks as if he is offside and there is a foul on Bates, it’s harsh on the boys. It was the same at the weekend [in the 2-1 defeat by Livingston when a pull on him in the box was missed]. We’re [being] done by refereeing decisions. It is killing us at the minute. When you are not on a good run, these sort of things don’t go your way. Celtic are on a good run and it goes their way. That’s just the way it works. It’s disappointing to get done by a