Millwall fan runs the line
PHIL PARKINSON admitted he found having TWO replacement referees a bizarre experience as Bolton drew at Millwall.
The Trotters boss saw linesman Daniel Leach replace Lee Swabey – who in turn replaced Tony Harrington before the game.
Millwall fan Steve Perry ended up as fourth official before he ran the line in the second half – leaving Parkinson (right) amused.
“It was quite strange, because the ref got injured in the warm-up, and there was a Millwall supporter who was the fourth official,” he said.
“We were having a laugh with him when the Millwall keeper made a great save – he was jumping up and applauded.
“But he kept his integrity and did a good job.
“I have mixed feelings, I’m very pleased with the way we’ve played, the lads played very well today.”
The referee merry-goround was a sideshow in a contest where Millwall finally struck late for a point.
Jordan Archer marked his first start since August with an excellent double save on eight minutes – first with his foot from William Buckley, then tipping the ball over the bar from Jason Lowe.
Mark Beevers struck against his old club on 12 minutes when he headed home off the post.
The Lions started to claw their way back into the game, and Ryan Leonard was denied first by Ben Alnwick and a Beevers header off the line.
The hosts increased the pressure, and were rewarded on 82 minutes with a Jake Cooper shot in the area.
Millwall boss Neil Harris admitted the issues with the officials was one of the strangest incidents he had seen. “It was quite a bizarre situation. I’ve not been involved in a game with three refs. But it was brilliantly handled,” he said.
“I can start with a negative, and I can say we can do better with the goal we gave away. For whatever reason we weren’t quite at our best today.
“I thought we started well for the first five or six minutes. We didn’t look particularly Milwall-like at the Den, up and at ’em 100 per cent. We were five per cent off.
“The goal rocked us, and Tom Elliott going off was difficult.
“It took us a while to get going, we should have scored with one off the line.
“We had some excellent passages of play in the second half, scored relatively late in the game and got into some great areas.”