COLCHESTER United keeper Mark Cousins was infuriated that Crawley’s goal, which appeared to be handled into the net by Kyle McFadzean, was allowed to stand during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Cousins was convinced that Crawley’s opener from defender McFadzean should have been wiped out, but in the end it required an 86th minute penalty by Anthony Wordsworth to rescue a point for the struggling U’s.

“Even from his reaction, you can tell that he (McFadzean) has got away with it,” insisted Cousins.

“But the referee (Andy Woolmer) and the linesman didn’t see it, so we just had to get on with it.

“I wasn’t too sure how the ball went into the back of the net, but I could tell from the reaction of the lads, so I knew straight away.

“Obviously replays show clearly that he has leaned in with his arm, before his head, so it was a disappointing way for me to concede a goal.

“It makes me look a bit of a bad keeper, and you don’t need that. If you make a genuine mistake, you hold yours hands up,

“But when something like that should have been spotted by the officials, which it wasn’t, it makes it worse. They’ve made a mistake, and we just have to accept that.

“At the time, everyone just stopped, waiting for the whistle, like me, but it never came,” added Cousins.

The U’s are yet to win any of their first eight league and cup games. They travel to fellow strugglers Scunthorpe on Saturday.