Zigor Aranalde: Watford assistant says foul in build-up to Wrexham goal

Watford assistant boss Zigor Aranalde said the referee had made a clear mistake in the build-up to Wrexham’s added-time equaliser, resulting in a red card being shown to head coach Javi Gracia.

Ollie Rathbone’s 92nd-minute goal denied The Hornets three points in north Wales on Saturday as the Championship game ended 2-2, but Aranalde said the game should have been stopped for a foul prior to the corner which led to it.

“Everyone could see the free-kick the referee didn’t give leading to the second goal. It was a clear foul and he [Gracia] got mad for a couple of minutes and he decided to send him off,” he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

“For me, it was a clear mistake and he is lucky there was no VAR or that decision would have been dropped for sure. Grabbing, pulling, it was a shocking decision and it was the difference today.”

Watford had fought back from 1-0 to take the lead with goals by Mamadou Doumbia and Othmane Maamma.

“Credit to the lads, they never gave up, in a difficult situation we managed to come back in the second half,” Aranalde said.

“We had the game more or less under control until those last five minutes. That’s life, we have to carry on.”

Watford are next in action at home to Stoke City on Saturday.