DAVID Flitcroft blasted the “scandalous decision’’ not to award Swindon Town a second-half penalty as goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux’s failure to appear on the bench came under scrutiny in a 3-2 League Two defeat at Grimsby that ended their seven-match unbeaten run this evening.

Town were undone by a winner in the 87th minute from the Mariners’ Mitch Rose at Blundell Park, having led at half-time through a Keshi Anderson wonder strike and a bizarre own goal conceded by Jamille Matt, who had opened the scoring for the home side on 11 minutes.

The visitors though failed to hold out as Siriki Dembele fired home for Grimsby with less than 20 minutes remaining before Rose’s short-range finish decided it.

Vigouroux was named on the bench for the clash in which Reice Charles-Cook performed excellently between the sticks, but Flitcroft revealed afterwards that the former Liverpool man had ruled himself out of the squad after the warm-up.

The manager, who also lost striker Luke Norris to a turned ankle during the pre-match routine, paused to gather his thoughts before saying of his highly-rated goalkeeper: “Lawrence Vigouroux has decided to come out of the game so we’ll have to assess that.

“I don’t want to comment on that right at this minute but I’ll certainly find out what has gone on and we videoed the warm-up and see where it’s at.’’

The Town chief was incensed by referee Martin Coy’s refusal to award Town a penalty shortly after the second half had started, when midfielder John Goddard certainly appeared to be felled while trying to get a shot on target.

“The game has completely changed on the penalty decision that absolutely was,’’ he said.

“If you want the soft decisions, the easy decisions, the little pulls then go and referee netball, not a professional game of football.

“The defender has got himself all mixed up, Johnny G has made a fantastic run across, he’s pulled him down so he has to send him off. It a massive moment.

“And because he has to send him off so early in the second half he decides not to do it. It’s a scandalous decision that they’ve got wrong. At 3-1 then you are home and dry.’’

The manager did however concede that his side had never had full control of a game in which Grimsby were always a significant threat.

“I think the game kept swinging. We didn’t start that well, they got their noses in front and it was a real spirited performance from Grimsby,’’ he added.

“I don’t think we threatened them enough second half, I don’t think we had enough of the ball to threaten them. “Certainly we didn’t deserve to lose the match. I’m disappointed but we have to be better in certain areas of the pitch.’’