Gillingham 1 Mansfield Town 1: Neil Harris’ reaction to a controversial decision by referee Jacob Miles that led to Davis Keillor-Dunn’s equaliser at Priestfield

Gillingham manager Neil Harris says the controversial refereeing decision that led to Mansfield’s goal on Saturday has left them feeling hard done by.

The Gills were dominating the opening half of the League 2 game at Priestfield and led through Macauley Bonne’s early goal before a quickly taken free-kick was converted by Davis Keillor-Dunn.

Referee Jacob Miles had penalised Ethan Coleman for a foul, which Harris had no issue with, but as the official reached in his pocked for a yellow card, seemingly meaning a pause in play, Mansfield took the free-kick quickly and scored.

Harris kept his cool on the touchline and spoke to the fourth official Aaron Farmer at the interval before then quizzing referee Miles before making his own feelings known to the press afterwards.

“It is a tough one and I am not disputing the law,” said Harris, who had been thrilled with his own team’s performance up until then.

“Ethan brings the lad down, no debate, it’s a foul, it’s a yellow card, it’s a good foul (Mansfield had broken on the Gills). The Mansfield players are well within their rights to put their hands on the ball and play, there is no issue with that.

“The letter of the law is that he can put his hand on the ball and then play it, I said to the referee ‘that’s the letter of the law, however, your actions as a referee with the whistle and with the card, and with the gesture to book the player makes it clear to everyone in the ground that you’re going to book a player.

“‘You allow them to take a quick free-kick’, six or seven yards further forward from where it was given away, but I am not going to dispute that, but his body-language and his demenour has made our team stop and think it’s a yellow card.

“I said that is taking the