Panaji: Peeved at the dismal standard of refereeing in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL), Robbie Fowler-coached SC East Bengal on Friday lodged a complaint with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) after some howlers cost them massively in the past few games.

Last team to enter the ISL after their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan this season, East Bengal lost three matches in a row before drawing Jamshedpur FC. They are yet to score a goal from four matches.

The bottom-placed East Bengal finally opened their account after a hard-fought draw with Jamshedpur on Thursday in a match Eugeneson Lyngdoh was sent off following a second yellow card which seemed a dubious decision.

"As a club, we have shared our feedback with AIFF. Hopefully it will be taken into consideration to enhance the quality of referee to maintain the spirit of the game during the remainder of the tournament," an East Bengal official said.

Fowler had earlier criticised the standard of refereeing, especially after their match against NorthEast United FC in which they were denied two penalties.

"I thought (the penalties) were blatant... I don't think any decision was going our way. Everyone does seem to be against us," Fowler said.

"We just had to go out there and defend like the way we can and don't concede and it was important for us to get the point," he added.

East Bengal next face Hyderabad FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Tuesday.

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