Gillingham manager Neil Harris frustrated with referee Chris Sarginson after striker Vadaine Oliver denied a penalty against AFC Wimbledon

The match referee wasn’t Mr Popular at Priestfield on Tuesday night.

A big moment in the game came with 15 minutes left when striker Vadaine Oliver was pulled to the ground inside the box.

Referee Chris Sarginson waved away the players’ protests while there were big appeals around the Priestfield ground.

It was hardly a surprise to see the referee say "no penalty" after giving Oliver nothing all night despite being manhandled throughout.

Harris isn’t one to sound off about officials without good reason and remained measured in his criticism of the referee, saying: “I will say I don’t think it was Chris Sarginson’s finest 90 minutes.

“I thought Vadaine Oliver was manhandled all game. They were aggressive on set-plays, we are a big aggressive side ourselves and that is the way I want the team to be, but you have to play the ball at times as well and there was no inkling of their centre-halves playing the ball against Vadaine.

“I thought the referee got a lot wrong, including the throw-in right at the end when he booked the player (Wimbledon’s Dapo Mebude) when Vadaine had flicked it on and we are through on goal and he stopped the play, he just had a bad night.”

He added: “I thought Vadaine had zero protection, I didn’t think it was the referee’s finest game.”