Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has told referee Nick Walsh that he should take a leaf out of Craig Thomson’s book, after being given a one-match ban for comments he made to the official.

Walsh was the fourth official at Pittodrie last Saturday as Motherwell lost to Aberdeen, and he rubbed McGhee up the wrong way with his general demeanour throughout the match.

Walsh also intervened late on to ensure that Bobby Madden sent off ‘Well captain Keith Lasley, after the referee had initially taken a yellow card from his pocket for the midfielder’s challenge on Kenny McLean.

Despite admitting that he had spoken to Madden regarding Walsh after the match, he was surprised to be issued a notice of complaint.

He said: “I wasn’t (expecting it), because I had a bit of a rapport with the referee coming off, and I explained to him that I was a bit dismayed by the attitude that the fourth official had taken right from the very beginning.

“We went there with all good intentions, but right from the very beginning he wouldn’t make eye contact, and he was looking for things to get onto us about.

“It took the length of the game because it was only after the final whistle that I got reported for anything I had done, but it wasn’t that bad I don’t think.

“Part of the reason I had said to Stephen Robinson that we should behave ourselves is that in recent weeks I’ve had outbursts that I’ve ended up being a little bit embarrassed about, so I wasn’t wanting to get involved in that again, and this is the one I get banned for.

“When I was walking off the pitch with the referee I never mentioned Las or the sending off, I never made any comment on any decision that was made on Saturday. The only thing I was concerned about was the attitude of the fourth official.”

McGhee was struck by the difference in the approach of Walsh, and that taken by vastly-experienced whistler Thomson, who was the fourth-official on duty at Fir Park the previous week as the Steelmen took on Hearts.

He said: “First of all, even when you came out, there was a rapport and communication (with Craig Thomson), and that was probably the most important thing.

“Even if it was subtle, Craig would maybe give us a wee signal to say ‘come on’ if we were shouting for a decision and we’d accept that and get on with it.

“Whereas there was just a stone wall, this glass plate between the boy and us, and it was a shame.”

Despite accepting the touchline ban for McGhee, Motherwell have appealed the red card issued to Lasley, meaning he is free to face St Johnstone on Saturday.

McGhee said: “At the time I accepted the sending off, but now we’ve appealed and you can see he nicks a little bit of the ball. It was a little bit tired, coming when it did.

“The referee could have interpreted it as a red card, it wasn’t one of those that was an outright wrong decision, but it was debatable.

“As I understand it, the fourth official changed the referee’s mind.”

The Motherwell boss is looking forward to the last home game of the season on Saturday against St Johnstone, a match he feels will go a long way to determining who ends up in fourth spot.

“We always felt that these two games – St Johnstone and Ross County – would be the games that would decide it,” he said.

“It may even mean two players at the level we pay, so it is significant.

“It’s worth achieving not just for the kudos, but for the money in practical terms, and the players know that.”