Mazzarri risks FA wrath after raging at referee
WALTER MAZZARRI has risked an FA charge after accusing referee Graham Scott of a ‘terrible’ performance that influenced the result of Watford’s defeat at West Brom.
The Italian was angered after Scott sent off Roberto Pereyra with seven minutes left in an episode that saw both benches clash in a melee which spread on to the pitch.
Mazzarri insisted James McClean should have been the player to see red but may have strayed beyond FA regulations by insinuating the officials had favoured the home team.
The moment to spark his fury came when McClean hit the ball into a falling Pereyra, who then kicked out at the Derryman and pushed him in the chest when he squared up.
After a lengthy delay, and consultation with fourth official Mike Jones, Scott administered a red card to Pereyra and yellow to McClean. Watford had been building up a head of steam at 2-1 down but eventually lost 3-1.
Mazzarri said: ‘If there was someone to be sent off it had to be the other person. The referee has been terrible. He conditioned, he changed the result of the game. We lost unfairly. The action was in front of my eyes and it gets you very angry, it was very clear what happened.’
After a difficult week in which Tony Pulis was branded a fraud by a High Court judge, here was irrefutable evidence he remains a manager of genuine talent.
A third victory in four unbeaten games sees Albion move up to the heady heights of sixth and above Manchester United, who face Everton today, on goals scored.
This result represented a tonic for Pulis after the news that he faces a potential £6million bill, having lost his appeal over a bonus paid by Crystal Palace.
The end-game in that battle against his former employers remains to be seen. ‘I am quite resilient,’ said Pulis, who strenuously denies having lied. ‘I don’t agree with the judgment.
‘This has been going on a while and I have never taken my eye off the ball. It hasn’t affected the football club.’
West Brom took the lead through a Jonny Evans header and doubled it in the 34th minute when Chris Brunt’s effort took a deflection off Juan Zuniga.
On the hour Watford found a way back into the game, Troy Deeney’s pull-back setting up Christian Kabasele for an easy tap-in.
The sending-off took the sting out of Watford and in stoppage time Matt Phillips made the game safe by drifting in off the right and bending a superb shot into the bottom corner.