Gillingham manager Mark Bonner felt the officials got some big moments wrong at Wimbledon - but weren’t the only ones at fault in the defeat.

The Gills were denied a clear penalty in the first 10 minutes when Conor Masterson was wrestled to the floor inside the box and the goal that separated the sides was scored with an arm.

Report: Wimbledon 1 Gillingham 0

Those were too big moments that went against the Gills in a tight game against AFC Wimbledon.

Speaking of the incidents, Bonner said: “We should have had a penalty.

“It's clearer than ever (on the night) because it's on the telly and they zoom in on it. No doubt they are the action points that they're talking about.

“We felt they were really aggressive on us in our box, which is fine. If there's VAR (video assistant referee), [the penalty] gets given and their goal doesn't. That is the fine line of the game a little bit.

“There's no attempt to see the ball. It's just a bit of a headlock. He DDT’d him to the floor and no return for us whatsoever. We felt that there was a couple of moments like that in the first half.

“That was in a period where we proper had them on the ropes in the first five, six minutes with a brilliant start and then it twisted and turned and it went to them.

“You need those moments to go for you, or you need one of your chances to go in for you when we had that pressure for an early goal. We had one that, if I remember, just went past the post, which was a decent chance as well.

“We need to capitalise on those moments more and find more quality in execution in those situations because we're drawing blanks too many times.”

On the winning goal, scored by Matty Stevens following a corner, Bonner had every reason to feel hard done by again. The ball went in off the player’s arm.

Bonner said: “It's not easy [to see] in full speed, but in the end, there was a bit of space that he ends up in and it's a fairly clear line from the linesman's side to see that. I would expect him to see that, just like I would expect, I don't know, us to defend it better or not give it away in the first time.

“We should expect that from our players, but we should expect that from them as well.

“In the end, it feels like that's the reason we've lost the game. There's loads of reasons why we've lost the game and we have to take absolute ownership and responsibility ourselves for that but those moments don't help.”

Elliott Nevitt had a big chance to score following a poor pass from a Wimbledon defender let him in but the striker shot over the bar when a better option might have been to pass.

Bonner said: “We've pounced on an error, which was perfect, really, in that sense, in terms of the pressure.

“He's got himself in a one v one and I think his instant reaction, like it should be for a forward, is ‘I'm bearing down on goal’ but as time travels on and the picture changes and the goalkeeper's there and there's someone on his inside shoulder in a better position, Dack or Rowe, a simple pass gives them a simple finish.

“At that point, we had really good momentum in the game.

“I thought that all the set-backs in the game we responded well to. That hasn't always been the case and that's where we are at the moment.

“We have to be a resilient team that dig in and grit and find their way through the games because not only have we got to make sure we pick up points more often, and score more goals more often, but our wins at the moment, when we're in this situation, are gritty wins. That's what it has to be.

“We have to accept that until we can get to a point where we are a bit more free-flowing and confident and we can get the type of wins everybody wants.

“That game is such a close game. It could have gone either way. They go second, we sit 13th.

“A really balanced game between two teams. I think it sums the league up and it can change in a moment and the moment might be a mistake or an error or a poor decision. That's where it is at the minute.

“A few of those are going the wrong side of it. They'll turn our favour when we play with an intensity and determination and togetherness like that. They won't turn in our favour when we play like we played on Boxing Day (at Colchester).”

The Gills had been keen to make amends from that poor showing at Colchester - resulting in a 2-0 defeat - and the effort from the players was certainly there, even if the outcome was the same.

Bonner said: “We chased and we looked more likely to be the team that scored the next goal in the game throughout it, whether that was open play, set-plays.

“Overall emotion, really angry that we've lost the game, really angry the way in which we've lost the game but hopeful that as a minimum level that gives you a chance of winning games in a league that's going to be open until Easter.”