CHERRIES boss Andoni Iraola launched into a rant criticising the decision to award Newcastle United a penalty against his side at St James’ Park.

With Cherries 1-0 up thanks to Dominic Solanke’s opportunistic strike, the game was levelled when Adam Smith was penalised for pulling the shirt of Magpies defender Fabian Schar as a free-kick came into the box.

Schar was in fact in an offside position when the ball was played, but the law deemed that irrelevant, with the foul taking place before the Switzerland international was able to attempt to play the ball.

The game ended 2-2, Matt Ritchie striking late after Antoine Semenyo had put Cherries back ahead.

Unprompted after the match, Iraola was keen to express his dissatisfaction with the decision of referee Michael Salisbury and video assistant Rob Jones to award the spot kick.

He told the Daily Echo: “For me it is very difficult to accept the result.

“I cannot accept the first goal they scored, the penalty decision.

“He (Schar) is in an offside position. I have been talking to the referees after the game.

“I am not smart enough to understand their explanations. I think if we are only talking about the foul, it is a very soft, soft foul for a set piece, because in set pieces and corners everyone grabs, goes to the floor and they do not call anything all season.

“But if they call a foul, we will complain, but we have to accept it.

“But someone who is in an offside position, the ball goes exactly where he is, my player grabs the shirt, because otherwise he is going to head the ball.

“Obviously that affects the play. They spend 10 minutes, five or six referees watching the play. Also the VAR doesn’t show the referee the wide camera so he can take the decision of the offside position.

“For me, it is very, very difficult to accept, because I think we deserved a little bit of respect. I know we are Bournemouth, we are a small club, but we deserve more respect than this.”

Discussing the notion the offside offence was cancelled out because the ball had not reached Schar, Iraola added: “Anthony Gordon normally stays offside, waiting for a second ball. He is offside, but I accept this, because it is not offside because it is not affecting the play.

“But obviously he (Schar) is affecting the play, the ball goes to him, my player grabs him, because he knows he has lost the position.

“He takes benefit of the offside position, is going to arrive late and he is going to score a goal.

“If he scores a goal, he is offside. If you think the foul has been before he touches the ball, then it is not a penalty, because it has to happen after he touches the ball.

“When he touches the ball, the position is clear he is offside, we are all clear on this.

“He affects the play, because the ball goes to him. I repeat, my player grabs him because he has lost the position. The other player takes benefit of being offside.

“They have tried to explain it to me, but I am not smart enough to understand it.”