Jay Saunders said Maidstone’s defeat at Wrexham was an embarrassment and a scandal.

Saunders couldn’t believe referee Matthew Donohue’s decision to award a free-kick against Lee Worgan which led to the only goal.

The Stones keeper appeared to simply mop up the ball near the byline only for Donohoe to eventually call play back on the advice of his linesman, with Worgan now several yards down the pitch.

Saunders claimed Donohue admitted he hadn’t seen anything and even the linesman was hesitant, but the free-kick was awarded and Shaun Pearson header’s gave Wrexham victory.

Saunders said: “We’ve lost the game due to an embarrassment from the officials.

“The officials weren’t good enough for this game today, they couldn’t handle the crowd and got sucked into an embarrassing decision that’s cost us the goal and it’s not right.

“Yes, the geezer’s had a free header but when you’re giving away a free-kick in that position it’s hard to defend.

“I didn’t see us losing the game second half, I really didn’t, and it’s taken that decision to kill us.

“You try and talk to the ref and he said, ‘I didn’t see anything’ and I asked the linesman who fouled him and he said, ‘Well, erm, erm, erm,’ and couldn’t make his mind up and then he said, ‘I think your keeper.’

“It’s not a think - he either did or he didn’t foul him.

“If you’re going to give a foul you say it’s Joe Anderson but again I don’t think there was a foul there.

“It’s a scandal and I just feel for the boys who put a hell of a lot of effort in there to get robbed."

Saunders accepted Wrexham were in charge early on but a switch to a back four with Alex Wynter stepping into midfield stifled the home side and brought Maidstone into the game.

The Stones boss said: “I thought first 15 minutes they were well on top.

“We had to change shape and once we did we came back into it and there wasn’t a lot in it after that.

“It was a decent enough away performance and I don’t remember, second half, Worgs having a save to make but that decision’s killed us.”

Maidstone’s first defeat in four games sees them drop a place to 17th in the National League, six points clear of the relegation zone.

Read the match report from Maidstone's 1-0 defeat at Wrexham