Nine times out of 10 they’re not given, says Stevenage player following Oldham defeat

Darius Charles says he felt a little harshly done by on conceding the late penalty which handed Oldham Athletic all three points in Saturday’s season opener.

The versatile 25-year-old, who scored the opening goal of the match, started up front before moving to left-back following the substitution of Lee Hills early on, but with just two minutes to go in the game he was penalised for a handball in the box. With the score at 3-3 at the time, after Boro had come back from 3-1 down, Jose Baxter stepped up to fire the visitors to victory.

Speaking about the decision to award Oldham the late penalty, Charles said: “I don’t disagree that it hit my hands but it’s hit my leg before it’s hit my hands and my arms are at my body.

“I would have understood if my arms were away from the body but they’re by my body so I felt a bit hard done by. Maybe nine times out of 10 they’re not given against you.

“Most [people] would have probably thought we were dead and buried by the time we got to 3-1 down but the lads have got a great fighting spirit and we showed what we are made of to come back from 3-1 down but unfortunately we couldn’t grab the point or go on and win it after that.”