Matt Doherty was frustrated by both Wolves’ performance and VAR come full-time on Wednesday evening, as Bournemouth won at Molineux.
The Cherries had been the better side and led through Antoine Semenyo’s strike and Wolves had struggled to create chances, but thought they’d levelled through Hee Chan Hwang’s powerful header. However, the goal was disallowed for an incident in the build-up, to leave Doherty’s frustration doubled after the 1-0 loss.
On a poor performance
“It wasn’t [like Wolves]. It’s hard to put your finger on it, we’ll watch it back and analyse the game, but our gut feeling, we already know it wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t the level to win Premier League games, nowhere near what the manager, the fans or club are after, so bitterly disappointed with the performance.
“We’re obviously very disappointed. We just weren’t at the races at all. First half, even second and when they were down to ten men, we were all over the place. We didn’t really deserved anything out of the game. Sa pulled off some great saves.”
On the disallowed goal
“I’ve watched it on the video and there’s obviously contact between them, but they’re not even appealing for it. It’s just handbags between the two of them, it doesn’t affect the play at all. We scored a great goal – great cross from Nelson and a great header. What are we ruling it out for? Because he throws his arm and made some contact? I don’t really know.
“It was right in front of the ball, so I assumed the referee saw it initially, and he obviously didn’t have a problem with it. I don’t know if it’s enough to overturn the decision, it doesn’t seem like a clear and obvious mistake to me.
“Are we ruling goals out for stuff that’s not even involved in the play? The guy was still trying to press, he had nothing, he barely even noticed the hand, so obviously disappointed. It does feel like it’s happening all the time, because it is.”
On continued frustrations
“When it’s your own club, you feel it’s always against you. I know it’s happening to a lot of club and I think everybody know the pressure that Stuart was under this week and he’ll feel it was justified because they brought him to the screen and told him that it was a foul. I think referees need to be strong enough and sometimes go to the screen and if they don’t think it’s a foul, they don’t have to change it.”
