REF STROUD LEAVES TOWN IN SORE SPOT
Basham
REF: ATT: Feb 13 Feb 16 Feb 23 Mar 4 Mar 9 Mar 12 Mar 16 MOTM CHRIS BASHAM (SHEFF UNITED) REFEREE Keith Stroud left Nottingham Forest fuming – but Ipswich were even more upset with the man in the middle.
Stroud refused the struggling Tractor Boys what looked a clear penalty in stoppage-time.
And he had already got it wrong when he denied Forest’s Daryl Murphy, chalking off what would have been a landmark goal before the break.
Forest sub Matty Cash, 21, said: “Daryl is fuming because he is just one away from a century of league goals in his career.
“We’re all angry because we have seen the replay and he was at least two yards onside. That has really cost us.”
Huddersfield loanee Collin Quaner opened the scoring in the fifth minute with his first goal in 10 games for Ipswich. But Town defender Jon Nolan put through his own net 26 minutes later to hand Forest a point.
Stroud angered Ipswich fans when he ordered a retake after Nolan had fired in from Alan Judge’s free-kick, the ref claiming he had not blown his whistle.
And he was even more unpopular when he missed Molla Wague’s foul on Town sub Kayden Jackson in the box at the end.
But Ipswich defender James Bree, on loan from Aston Villa, refused to slam the referee.
Bree (above) said: “It is easy to blame the ref, but we also had chances and didn’t take them. We have to do it ourselves.
“We are disappointed that we didn’t come away with all three points after a good performance from the lads.”
IPSWICH: NOTTINGHAM FOREST: REF: MOTM
MATCH STATS
ATT: COSTEL PANTILIMON (NOTT’M FOREST)