Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton vented his frustration towards referee Declan Bourne after The Imps suffered a 2-0 defeat to a resurgent Crewe Alexandra.
Former Sunderland striker Mikael Mandron netted twice from the penalty spot to ensure victory for The Railwaymen, piling more pressure on Lincoln boss Appleton following a poor run of form.
Adding insult to injury, athletic defender TJ Eyoma was shown a straight red card following his clumsy challenge on Crewe's Ben Knight, which seemed a contentious decision at best.
The Imps however can have no complaints about the result after being comprehensively second best in all aspects on the evening. Lincoln's achilles heel will no doubt be a major concern to the well-respected Appleton, with Lincoln recording just two shots on target all evening in a bid to improve on their shallow league goal tally of just 20.
The loss of influential loanees Brennan Johnson and Morgan Rogers have certainly contributed to The Imps' inconsistencies in-front of goal, while first-choice striker Tom Hopper has featured sparingly following a stress fracture to his shin.
Speaking to Lincolnshire Live, Appleton give his insight on his side's performance while not holding back in his criticism for the refereeing display that was on show: ''The first goal in any game is big. We've had some big opportunities in the first 10-15 minutes. I thought we were in control of the game,'' outlined Appleton.
''We didn't feel threatened in any way, shape or form and I'm struggling to find where (the first penalty) has come from.
''One it's not in the box and two it's not a foul. It was just an embarrassment of a decision.''
With Lincoln once again squandering clear-cut chances during crucial periods in games, Appleton outlined his disbelief that his side failed to get on the scoresheet once more.
He continued: '"I am just struggling to understand how we've not scored again tonight.
''Whether it's composure, whether it's bravery, whether it's a little bit of anxiety or all of them things mixed into one, it's (just) not happening in front of goal.
''The chance that (Adelakun) has in the first ten minutes, you're just thinking 'hit the ball anywhere and it's a goal'. It was a perfectly-weighted pass and a good run and we possibly go on and win the game because our tails are up.''
The Verdict
You do feel that attacking reinforcements are a necessity in the upcoming January transfer window if Lincoln are to get their season back on track.
With tentative links to potential loan deals already surfacing, the prospect of a busy window appears likely to come to fruition for The Imps.
This season so far has been a struggle and Lincoln look like they need all the help they can get in the winter window.