The Christmas Derby remained goalless until Nathanial Atkinson clashed with Christian Theoharous.

The subsequent indirect free kick was taken by James Troisi, and City keeper Dean Bouzanis made a meal of collecting the ball and fouled Mark Milligan.

The City boss said it was a sloppy one to give away.

“I don’t think it was a free kick beforehand looking back,” Joyce said. “It was an avoidable one as well, because we’ve got three players around the ball, so we shouldn’t have given it away.

“Things like that happen if you don’t manage the game through.”

Joyce added there was no blame attached to Bouzanis after he failed to save the fouled Milligan’s spot kick.

“It was just a mistake and everybody makes mistakes,” he said.

“I thought we were dopey really. Before it, there was a drinks break and you’re talking to the lads about concentrating, and at that stage it could go either way.

“In games like that, sometimes that happens for both sides. You can either score a goal in the last minute if you really focus, and you’re really on your job, or you concede.”