Wooly thinking’s a shocker for Wayne

REF Andy Woolmer made a bloomer and had to explain himself after he blundered over a penalty decision.

Lee Buchanan went down in the second half and Derby expected a spot-kick as Woolmer blew straight away.

But instead the confused ref eventually gave a drop ball.

The players were amazed and Woolmer eventually came over to tell Derby boss Wayne Rooney and Stoke manager Michael O’Neill what had gone on.

“I think he’s made a mistake and I think he knows that,” said Rooney.

“I appreciate it is very difficult for referees to get all the decisions right but it was so obvious. The referee, linesmen, fourth official, someone has to see it and communicate it.

“The referee explained there was contact but he didn’t feel it was a penalty.

“Now if a player jumping on another player’s back is not a penalty then maybe I need to go through the rule book and find out what the rules are.”

Buchanan had already been booked and would have been sent off for a second yellow card if Woolmer had deemed he dived.

Stoke keeper Joe Bursik, 20, made two outstanding saves to stop Tom Lawrence and Matt Clarke and earn a defensive-minded draw.

They are currently so short of players that they had a youth player as a substitute and still couldn’t fill their bench.

“It was a hard-earned point,” said O’Neill. “I wasn’t really sure about the penalty.

“It looked to me like a fairly clean tackle.

“I don’t think it was a penalty or a dive so I suppose in a roundabout way the referee got to the right decision.”

DERBY: Marshall 6; Byrne 6, Wisdom

7, Clarke 7, Buchanan 6; Bird 6 (Sibley (69th) 5), Bielik 6; Lawrence 6 (Whittaker (33rd) 5 (Waghorn (69th) 6), Knight 6, Jozwiak 5 (Ibe 87th); KazimRichards 6

STOKE: Bursik 8; Collins 6, Soutter 7, Chester 7, Fox 7; Cousins 7, Thompson

6 (Ince 77th); Brown 6, Powell 6, Tymon

6; Fletcher 6 (Oakley-Boothe 83rd)

STAR MAN: Joe Bursik

REF: A Woolmer