BEES’ REF RAGE
JARROD BOWEN eased the pressure on boss Nigel Adkins but only after scrapping with a Hull team-mate to take the equalising penalty. BRENTFORD boss Dean Smith laid the blame for a “crazy” match on referee Geoff Eltringham.
Yoann Barbet handed Reading a late, late French lesson to spare the blushes of keeper Dan Bentley.
Barbet, 25, has been teaching schoolkids his language this week – and the left-back headed the promotion-chasing Bees level in stoppage time.
That was a huge relief for Bentley and the 10-man Bees after the keeper had gifted Reading two goals.
But six yellow cards for the Bees and 10 minutes of second-half added time following a melee, left boss Smith bewildered.
Smith said: “It was a crazy game. I’ve never seen anything like it – certainly when there has been 10 minutes of added time. There were no bookings for 50 minutes – then he was throwing cards around like confetti.
“We’ve had six yellows and they had one – and even then he got the wrong man.
“Reading came to slow the game down and the officials lost control.”
Reading boss Paul Clement said: “The referee had a difficult day, but that’s because you had two sets of players going at it hammer and tongs.” Neal Maupay opened the scoring with a smart ninth goal of the season, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson levelled after Bentley allowed a John Swift shot to squirm past him. Bentley mishandled a Swift free-kick for 2-1, then Said Benrahma saw red for a second booking. The game looked over – Barbet (above) showed otherwise.