Preston boss Ryan Lowe issues fresh Leeds United verdict with new evidence and ref chat details

Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe has issued a fresh verdict on Leeds United's penalty in Sunday's defeat at Elland Road upon seeing new footage with Daniel Farke and referee David Webb post-match chat details.

Lowe's side eventually fell to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat in Sunday's Championship clash at Leeds via Joel Piroe's 94th-minute penalty, the awarding of which left Lowe "baffled" in his post-match press conference

The Preston boss was left fuming with referee Webb’s decision to award the spot kick, insisting that United’s Joe Rodon had fouled Alan Browne on the edge of the box beforehand and that the ball had then hit Ryan Ledson’s arm in a “natural position” for the penalty given for handball.

Lowe, though, says he has now seen another angle of the incident and expressed a degree of sympathy for Webb as he revealed details of his post-match talks with the match official and also Whites boss Farke.

"It's a decision where, looking back now, I hadn't seen the different angle," said Lowe, as quoted by the Lancashire Evening Post. "We felt it had hit Ry's knee, gone up and hit his arm. But again, the rules change week in week out don't they? On what is handball and what isn't. I get it is tough and the referee has to make a decision.

"I went in and saw Webby at the end of it and he was fine - he's a good guy and we had a chat about it and other things in the game. It is one of those things isn't it Looking back, I spent some time with Daniel (Farke) at the end and he said he'd be disappointed if it went against him - but you are happy when it goes for you.

"I had only seen the one footage and Ry was convinced, with the wind, it had flown up at him. I have to go with what my player says and Ry still feels it went up him because of the wind. In hindsight, you have to come out and do the press and I was disappointed in it. I didn't feel it was handball at the time. It did hit his hand, but again you get some and some you don't."

Lowe added: "It is what it is and it's done with. I stick with what I said about other (decisions), because we've had PGMOL saying it was a red card or it should've been a penalty. We'd like to think those decisions went against us, but then it turns around and goes for you.

"We haven't had many go for us yet, but we will just have to wait and see. I don't like to harp on about it and use it as excuses. We need to get better results, of course, but I felt the performance for the last two games - from the second half of Bristol City to the whole Leeds game - was very good."