SPOT OF BOTHER
Canaries go top as Warnock lets rip in ref rant
IT WAS a tale of two penalties as Norwich hit the top of the Championship.
But a furious Neil Warnock – not for the first time – focused on the officiating, which he branded “a disgrace’’.
The Middlesbrough boss launched a stinging attack on referee Tony Harrington after he failed to send off Norwich left-back Jacob Sorensen for a late body check on substitute Sam Folarin – after the Dane had been booked in the first half.
Warnock, who will be in hot water for his comments, said: “When Sam goes past that kid with 10 minutes to go and he doesn’t send him off for a second booking… that was worse than his is booking. Then to say to me he didn’t think Sam was going i t to catch the ball – he knows he’s completely wrong. Is he lying or did he see that?
“I’ll have to write and ask the referees’ chief and it’ll come back that he should have sent him off. What good is that to me?
“Why haven’t we got officials who know what they’re doing?
“I think it’s a disgrace what’s happened today. And I felt he had a decent game, so how do I mark him?
“Honestly, the laws of the game, the people running it now… Mike Riley.
“That was like Mike Riley Part II today. He’ll probably end up running the referees’ association this guy.”
Marcu Marcus Tavernier co converted nve a 51st- 51st-minute minute spot kick, but it was disallowed by Harrington for a double touch by the Boro midfielder as he took the kick.
It was a let-off for former Boro defender Ben Gibson, who had brought down Tavernier.
And the home side then paid the penalty in every sense on 72 minutes when substitute Teemu Pukki sent Marcus Bettinelli the wrong way from the spot after Boro sub Hayden Coulson had fouled Max Aarons.
It was Pukki’s fifth goal for his club this season, on the back of two for Finland on international duty.
Norwich extended their unbeaten run to eight games, ending Boro’s undefeated ten-match sequence.
Amazingly, it was the Canaries’ fifth successive 1-0 win over Boro, and boss Daniel Farke said: “It feels like a massive win.
“It was impossible to start Teemu after he had been away on international duty, but he kept his cool with the penalty.”
Farke felt the Sorensen incident had no bearing on the result, saying: “I think when he was booked in the first half it was doubtful.” MIDDLESBROUGH: Bettinelli 7; Dijksteel 6, Fry 8, McNair 7, Bola 6; Howson 6; Spence 6 ( Folarin 66, 5), Tavernier 5 (Roberts 81), Saville 5, Johnson 7 (Coulson 66, 5); Akpom 5 (Assombalonga 73, 5).
Unused subs: Stojanovic, Hall, Wing, Wood, Watmore.
NORWICH: Krul 6; Aarons 6, Hanley 6, Gibson 6, Sorensen 5 (Vrancic 90); Skipp 5, Rupp 6; Buendia 6 (McLean 81), Stiepermann 5 (Tettey 90), Placheta 6 (Zimmermann 90); Hugill 5 (Pukki 46, 7). Unused subs: McGovern, Martin, McAlear, Barden.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Dael Fry. Solid display by the Boro centre-back, but ultimately in vain.