MCCLAREN IN ANGRY BLAST AT ‘BLUNDER’ REF MADLEY
Clarets land controversial victory
DERBY boss Steve McClaren accused ref Robert Madley of a double blunder after ten-man Rams slumped to a controversial defeat at Turf Moor.
Behind to David Jones’ sublime volley, Derby thought they had equalised on the stroke of half-time when Chris Martin tumbled under a challenge from Kieran Trippier and Jeff Hendrick crashed home the rebound.
But their celebrations were curtailed by Madley, who had already blown up for a dive by Martin. Insult was then added to injury as a stunned Martin – already booked – was given his marching orders and McClaren’s misery was complete when Dean Marney made it 2-0.
“It’s two mistakes,” said the Derby boss, whose side now lie five points adrift of secondplaced Burnley.
“One, it’s a penalty. I’ve looked at it over and over and there’s slight contact.Two, even if he hasn’t had his feet taken away from him, it was enough to make him slip, so it wasn’t a dive.
“So he didn’t give a penalty, which was wrong. And he sent Chrissy off, which was also wrong.
“That’s football. Over the course of the season, you get decisions that go for you and decisions that go against you. This was one of those and it cost us the game.”
Naturally, Sean Dyche was less convinced, but admitted he would have been seething in McClaren’s shoes.
“You would be,” he said.“But I think it’s fair to say that the boy Martin had been involved in five or six incidents before that and could have been booked before that.
“And while he slipped, I think he did then instantly appeal. That always puts doubt in the referee’s mind.
“I’m sure they’ll be disappointed, as I would be, but overall I think we had the better of the game – more so with 11 men than ten.”
Partisanship can blind, which probably explains the strength of McClaren’s conviction. In truth, it was exceptionally difficult to tell whether Martin was fouled, even after several replays of varying angle and speed.
Trippier certainly dived in, and Martin’s foot certainly buckled. Whether one was a consequence of the other is open to debate and, whatever the case, it is difficult to see how Madeley construed the tangle as a deliberate dive.
Watching Burnley skipper Jason Shackell commiserate with Martin, you had to conclude that even he thought it was harsh, and it is doubtful that Madeley would have blown his
whistle had he realised doing so would necessitate a red card.
He did, though, and from that moment on the game was effectively up for a Derby side who had failed to muster a serious effort with 11 men, let alone ten.
Though neat and tidy, Derby failed to muster a meaningful attack before Jones gave Burnley the lead, the midfielder collecting Danny Ings’ flicked pass before launching a beautiful volley that arched over Lee Grant and bounced in off the crossbar.
In fairness, McClaren’s men did make a belligerent stand at the start of the second half, their best chance coming when sub Connor Sammon’s deflected shot slipped through the grasp of Tom Heaton.
Like a par putt looping round a hole, the ball spun tantalising on the line, but with no Derby player on hand, Heaton scrambled to smother the danger.
It would, though, prove their final chance.
Warning shot heeded, Burnley wasted no time in dealing the fatal blow.
Jones performed the Clarets’ usual corner trickery, drilling a low ball that was met by Ings on the penalty spot. The striker’s shot was bravely blocked, but Marney found himself in the right place at the right time to prod home the rebound from close range.
It capped an excellent performance from the midfielder, whose energy and perceptive passing wrestled control of the game from Derby.