KEITH Hill said he feel let down by the 'standard of refereeing' after his Scunthorpe United side were beaten 3-1 at home by Colchester United.

Iron boss Hill was adamant referee Alan Young should have awarded his side a free-kick for handball in the lead-up to Noah Chilvers' equalising for the U's, early in the second half.

Scunthorpe were ahead through Joe Nuttall's early strike at Glanford Park but were reduced to ten men ten minutes before the break when Luke Matheson was sent off for two bookable offences.

And after the U's equalised early in the second half, Owura Edwards fired the visitors ahead before Chilvers' diving header wrapped up their win.

Scunthorpe boss Hill said: "I'm disappointed in the officials more than anything, in a game where we're leading 1-0 at half-time.

"I accept the red card, two yellow card offences but I don't accept or understand the lack of award of a free-kick for the opening goal for Colchester.

"It's clear as day having watched it back and I'm going to go and see the referee after the game.

"It's handball and he was actually told by the fourth official it was handball but he's just ignored him.

"I don't think the referee understands the situation as it unfolds, the dynamic of the game.

"We change our tactics and all we want to do in the second half is defend and allow the opposition to have the ball in deeper areas of the pitch, one of the centre-halves.

"We'll defend through the centre of the pitch, we'll defend crosses with the players that we have on the pitch, perfect tactics working and then the referee fails to award a free-kick, which allows them to score the opening goal which changed the momentum, the dynamics, the tactical set-up.

Gazette:

"He's had a bad day at the office for me today.

"I do feel sorry for my lads today and it's not often that I say that and I'm trying my best emotionally to disguise how I feel, because I feel let down by the Referees' Association with respect to the standard of refereeing I've experienced and witnessed today."

While Colchester are now eight points above the League Two relegation zone after the win, the result leaves Scunthorpe ten points adrift of safety.

"I thought there were two teams that were suffering a little bit," said former Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale boss Hill.

"Having got the opening goal, there was that little bit of composure I was looking for.

"I never really felt threatened by the opponents up until when they scored and we were obviously carrying only ten men.

"I'm deeply disappointed at the lack of clarity from the Referees' Association's officials in them not being able to speak to the press and explain how they can walk away from the stadium without explaining why they've had a bad day at the office, why they don't understand the dynamics of the game and why that they allow Colchester to celebrate in the way that they have done."