STAND-in Cherries skipper Simon Francis believes referees should be made more accountable for their decisions.

Francis was speaking after Cherries had been on the wrong end of a hotly-disputed penalty call during their 2-2 draw at Swansea on Saturday.

West Midlands-based official Andre Marriner had no hesitation in pointing to the spot after Swans frontman Andre Ayew had gone to ground.

The Ghanaian took a tumble as he vied for possession with Francis towards the end of the first half with replays showing Ayew had appeared to trip himself.

Jonjo Shelvey netted the resultant penalty as Swans pulled back a 2-0 deficit following goals from Joshua King and Dan Gosling with Ayew getting the hosts’ opener.

Asked by the Daily Echo whether he felt referees should have to front up to the media, Francis said: “I think it would be a positive.

“You never see referees interviewed after games and questioned about their decisions. It is not so anyone can have a dig at them or the press can have a pop, it is just to get their view on things.

“I think it would clear up a lot of things to know what they were thinking after making the decisions. I am sure it would stop managers and players getting so angry.

“In the heat of the moment, you want to contest every decision. But if they came out and explained then it would probably make things a bit easier.”

Francis was also involved in Cherries’ defeat at Liverpool in August when the Premier League publicly admitted referee Craig Pawson had been wrong to award Christian Benteke’s winner.

“We know we are going to be up against it, especially against big teams away from home,” added Francis. “Referees are there to do a job and we have had some excellent ones this season.

“But, at the same time, there is that big-club mentality. When you come away from home, you don’t expect to get a lot and have to fight for every decision.

“Sometimes, they have not gone our way and, sometimes, they have. I think we have been on the end of quite a few interesting decisions and that has been disappointing.”

Swansea manager Garry Monk felt referee Marriner had been correct to award the penalty, a comment Francis begged to differ way.

He said: “There wasn’t a lot I could have done. I think the striker bought it, which any striker probably would.

“He ran across me and clipped my legs rather than me clipping his. The referee seemed like he gave it fairly quickly without even giving it a second thought and that was disappointing.

“He wouldn’t give me an answer and wouldn’t say a lot. I told him there was nothing I could have done and all he said was “I’m not saying you meant it but it was a penalty”. That didn’t make a lot of sense.”

Discussing the performance, Francis said: “We showed a lot of character to come back into the game after the penalty and could have gone on to win. We had numerous chances. But we got a point and have to move on and take the positives again.

“Before the game and with the run we had been on, we probably would have taken a point against another team which has been struggling recently.

“But looking back on the game and how we dominated and the chances we created, it is probably a good thing and a positive sign that we are actually disappointed not to have come away with a win.”