Darren Carter was denied a goal and PNE were denied a stonewall penalty decision in the major talking point from Tuesday's defeat.

The North End midfielder bust into the box late in the game but was sent tumbling four yards out just as he was ready to pull the trigger. Match referee Steve Tanner put the whistle to his lips as if to blow for a penalty but then seemingly changed his mind and waved play-on to the stunned disbelief of everyone connected with PNE.

"I think the referee has said that he didn't have a clear view of it and that the angle wasn't the greatest but I think it is plain to see," Carter said.

"I've just gone past him and I am ready to just smash it in the back of the net so I am not going to fall over in that instance.

"It is disappointing because it is a pivotal time in the game, late on and it gets us a goal which would have been an equaliser and you never know after that, we could have pushed for a winner.

"Sometimes football throws these things at you and you get the hard end of the draw but on Tuesday night we were hard done by."

Carter was back in the side playing in a left midfield role with Ross Wallace on the opposite flank and it worked to great effect with North End putting in one of their finest away performances in recent memory. Sadly it was a performance which brought little reward.

"The Gaffer was very thorough with how he wanted us to play against Middlesbrough. Get Ross on the ball out there and get him cutting inside and for me to get into little holes and try and create some trouble for them.

"We managed to get into good areas at times and we had some chances, we've hit the post a couple of times and the keeper has made a few good saves. To go there and play that well and not take anything away from it is disappointing."

The midfielder will be now hoping that his performance will have caught the eye of the manager enough to justify selection against QPR this weekend. Carter knows that a headline grabbing goal might have made the difference.

He said: "It just goes to show how football can be sometimes, it can kick you in the teeth. We played very well at Middlesbrough and the Gaffer said it but it is a results business unfortunately and on paper it goes down as a 2-0 defeat.

"We pick ourselves up now and get ready for the two big home games."

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