SCOTT Malone believes the referee missed a pair of clear penalty decisions and cost Millwall two points in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Steven Morison opened the scoring at The Den with an eighth minute half-volley but Andy Reid levelled before the interval.

Steve Lomas’ side regained the lead thanks to a fine second half finish from Martyn Woolford, but a 66th-minute Nathaniel Chalobah header pulled Forest back on terms once again to ensure the spoils were shared.

Malone was left frustrated after the game, though, and suggested referee Dean Whitestone missed a pair of Millwall penalties after Lee Martin was tripped in the box either side of half-time.

“It should have been two penalties and we should have three points,” said Malone.

“They are two blatant penalties and I think the referee has got them both wrong. They may have had a shout for one when I brought Henri Lansbury down in the first half, but I think we should have had those two penalties.

“If we had gone 2-0 up after converting the first penalty then I think it is game over and we get the three points.”

Despite his frustrations, though, Malone was still happy with the result, and particularly the performance following last weekend’s abject 3-0 defeat at Leicester.

“I think it’s a good point,” he said.

“After Saturday we put Morison up front to get it in behind and with Martyn Waghorn off him I think it was quite effective.

“I think that is the way we are going to play now because it is more effective and we create more chances than when we try to play it out from the back.”

Although a draw against Forest is no disgrace, Millwall now have the joint worst defensive record in the league, something Malone feels needs to be corrected.

“If we do keep conceding goals but picking up points I think that is more important,” he said.

“But conceding goals is something we have got to eradicate.

“The second goal tonight from the set piece is poor.

“We had to really earn our goals, so to give one away like that is pretty cheap.

“If they hadn’t have scored that corner we would have gone another five places up the league, so it is fine margins.

“But mistakes happen and at least we got a point.”

Despite falling ever closing to the relegation zone, Millwall are now six games unbeaten at the The Den and Malone believes this is something to build on.

He said: “We took the confidence from our home form into the game, we started the first 20 to 25 minutes quite well.

“I was surprised at how they played to be honest because against Forest you are looking at a really good team.

“Their front six are top players, so it was a bit of a shock they went as direct as us, but we did it more effectively and should have won the game.”

The Lions play managerless Wigan, their opponents in the FA Cup semi-final earlier this year, at home this Saturday but Malone says revenge will not be on the agenda.

“I don’t think anyone is thinking about the semi-final,” he said. “They played last night, so we have got an extra day of rest.

“We can take positives from the way we have played against Forest and what we have tried to do.

“If we play the same way against Wigan and put Morison up top again, we can cause them problems like we did on Tuesday.”

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