Sydney Derby referee Chris Beath has ostensibly admitted he was wrong to deny Sydney FC a late penalty that could have kept the A-League leaders' Invincibles run going.
Beath waved away three Sky Blues penalty shouts in Western Sydney's controversial 1-0 win at ANZ Stadium, the last of which was clear-cut.
In the 92nd minute, Wanderers defender Robert Cornthwaite stuck out a leg that caught Sydney captain Alex Brosque and sent him down in the box.
Despite angry protests from Brosque and his camp, play continued and a chance to equalise from the spot was not awarded.
It meant Brendon Santalab's first-half opener was sufficient to end the Wanderers' three-year derby hoodoo and Sydney's 19-match winning streak.
Brosque was visibly fuming and approached Beath after full time for an explanation only to be told neither the referee nor his assistants saw the incident.
A source inside the club claims Beath apologised to coach Graham Arnold after watching a replay and realising his decision had been incorrect.
"I knew he took me out just because basically when he [Cornthwaite] hit me I wasn't able to take that next step [and] I had an open goal," Brosque said.
"I was very frustrated and annoyed at the fact he [Beath] missed it, because I felt he was close enough.
"There was a loud enough sound to hear there was contact, and really there was no need for me to go down.
"A big decision like that is always going to be tough for a referee I guess ... it just feels like it was snatched away from us."
Arnold refrained from criticising Beath, at least publicly, but did say the players were bitterly disappointed.
"They feel there was potentially at least two [penalties], but at the end of the day plenty of other coaches have been talking about it so I'll leave it to them," Arnold said.
Milos Ninkovic was subject to some heavy challenges, including one particularly nasty tackle from Santalab in the 72nd minute that finally earned the Wanderers veteran a yellow card after multiple first-half indiscretions.
It prompted a heated melee which spurred the match into a spiteful and frenzied climax, which Arnold argued could have been avoided had Beath not waited until the 61st minute to show his first of five yellow cards.
"There were a few challenges they got away with early on," Arnold said.
"If yellow cards were shown early for some of their tackles then maybe it wouldn't have turned into a bit of a circus at the end."
While Sydney missed several clear chances, defected goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic also made some top saves, including a late double to deny Bobo and the Brazilian's follow-up effort.
Not so to Arnold, who felt "Vedran didn't really save them [Sydney's shots] -- they hit him."