Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence reacts to 1-1 home draw against Tranmere Rovers in League 2

Head coach Stephen Clemence claimed it was the assistant referee - not referee James Linington - who ruled out Gillingham’s stoppage-time winner against Tranmere on Saturday.

Midfielder Tim Dieng thought he had won the League 2 match in stoppage time but he saw his effort controversially disallowed for handball, as the away side attempted to clear and the ball ricocheted off Dieng before he slotted home at Priestfield in the 1-1 draw.

Clemence had seen one of Mr Linington’s assistants flagging after Frenchman Dieng found the net, so he was then surprised to learn the Gills’ second had been chalked off for handball rather than offside.

He said: “As soon as I saw it land, I thought ‘Go on, someone put it in.’

“I looked straight away at the linesman and the referee, not because I thought there was a handball, but I thought is there an offside? I saw the linesman start flagging straight away.

“To then be told it was (ruled out) for a handball, I think the referee is a lot closer than the linesman.

“It’s a big decision for a linesman to make when he’s that far away, in my opinion.”

Report: Gillingham 1-1 Tranmere

While Clemence feels officiating calls usually balance themselves out over the course of the campaign, he conceded Dieng’s disallowed goal probably cost the play-off chasing Gills two points.

“I’m not one of those who moans about referees,” he added. “Decisions do even themselves out over the season. I’m one of those that believes that can happen.

“But I feel today that it’s probably robbed us of all three points.”

The late drama came after home defender Conor Masterson cancelled out Regan Hendry's early opener with his sixth goal of the season in front of a crowd of 6,077, with a point against 17th-placed