Sydney Olympic coach Peter Papanikitas lashed out at the referee after his team lost 1-0 on a disputed penalty to Marconi at Marconi Stadium.

Apart from a fine, Olympic face further worries in their battle to make the National Soccer League semi-finals with striker George Goutzioulis sent off after his fierce tackle carried Joe Spiteri over the sideline.

"The penalty was a disgrace and the referee had a huge bearing on the game. It was the worst I've seen," Papanikitas said.

"We had to win tonight and frustration and inconsistent decisions led to the final incidents."

The win took Marconi to outright sixth place in the league and gave it three wins and one draw from four matches over the past 11 days.

The tackle on Spiteri earned an immediate red card from referee Con Diomis and sparked heated reaction from players and spectators.

Diomis whistled the penalty in the 82nd minutes after Paul Kohler brought down Alex Brosque and Nick Carle stepped forward to convert the spot kick and break the deadlock.

It was a trying moment for New Zealand Olympic keeper Glen Moss who had replaced injured Brett Hughes 13 minutes earlier.

Marconi coach Jean-Paul de Marigny said his team had gained just rewards because it had plenty of chances to win.

"I'll take penalties as they come but the tackle by Goutzioulis was pretty unprofessional," he said.

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