Warnock hits out at horror Fry challenge
‘HE NEARLY LOST HIS EYE’
A FURIOUS Neil Warnock claimed Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry came “within a millimetre of losing his eyeball” after a horrific challenge by Blackburn’s Jarrad Branthwaite.
TV replays suggested the Rovers defender should have been sent off and Boro awarded a penalty after Fry was caught by the boot of his opponent inside the box.
The 23-year-old could not carry on and an angry Warnock stormed onto the pitch to confront rookie Branthwaite at the end.
Boro lost at home for the second game in a row but their manager insisted the 14th-minute clash overshadowed the defeat.
“It was a game-changing incident.When I saw the mess his face was in, I didn’t even bother with the result,” fumedWarnock.
“I don’t think the lad meant to do it but it was endangering the safety of a player. It cannot be any worse than that.
“The doc just said he’s a millimetre from having his eyeball taken out.
“We missed out all round – we don’t have a penalty or a sendingoff and one of our best players is carried off.
“It’s an absolute joke and I am distraught. How can the ref not see it? There was nothing in the way, I can’t understand it.
“You just expect people to do their job. It’s so disappointing when you see the effort my players put in.
“I don’t think we’ve lost the game. The officials just have not been good enough.”
Rovers boss Tony Mowbray – a former Boro skipper and manager – defended the on-loan Branthwaite, who has made four Premier League appearances for his parent club Everton.
Mowbray said: “He’s just a kid with no edge or malice about him. Neil is a wonderful guy but an extraordinarily emotional manager.
“I’m not sure he should be facing an 18-year-old boy who is just starting his career.”
Warnock’s verbal assault on Branthwaite sparked a shoving match between the players from both sides.
Earlier, the Boro manager watched Rovers pinch victory just seconds after Nathan Wood had missed an open goal. Joe Rothwell drove home the 63rd-minute winner with his team’s first effort on target to finally penetrate Boro’s tight defence and knock the stuffing out of the home side. MIDDLESBROUGH (4-3-3): Bettinelli 6; Spence 7, Fry 5 (Wood 18, 6), McNair 6, Bola 7; Morsy 5 (Johnson 72), Howson 7, Saville 6; Tavernier 7 (Roberts 81), Assombalonga 6, Watmore 5 (Fletcher 72).
BLACKBURN (4-3-3): Kaminski; 8 Nyambe 6, Lenihan 7, Branthwaite 5, Douglas 7; Travis 6, Johnson 5 (Buckley 10, 5, Dack 64, 6)), Davenport 6 (Trybull 86); Elliott 7 (Brereton 64, 7), Armstrong 6, Rothwell 7 (Gallacher 64, 6). Goal: Rothwell 63