Have your say: We questioned referee’s appointment says Wilson after Owls grab late 2-2 draw

Wilson had complained to the Football League prior to the game saying Oliver, who is 26, was too inexperienced to handle the occasion.

He was incensed when Oliver failed to rule out Madine’s 86th-minute equaliser for Sheffield Wednesday because of what he regarded as a foul by Reda Johnson on goalkeeper Steve Simonsen.

“The referee has got the decision wrong. End of story,” said Wilson. “We saw it at the time and we have now seen the DVD.

“Madine gets a good header but prior to the header, Reda Johnson just wipes the keeper out.

“We had voiced our concern, privately, prior to the game,” he addded.

“It’s not an indictment of the referee – I just want to know why he was put in charge.”

Oliver, who hails from Northumberland, is now in his second season as a Premier League referee .

He became the youngest referee in top-flight history when he took charge of a game between Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City in August 2010 and refereed last season’s FA Youth Cup final when the Blades lost to Manchester United.

“ I can’t really understand why a 25- 26-year old boy is given a Sheffield Steel derby when there is all the experience of Premiership referees out there who have experienced big derby games,” added Wilson.

“I just wanted to understand why he had been given the game when there is an amount of referees out there with great experience who could possibly have seen things that he didn’t see.”

Asked if Oliver had explained his decision after the game, Wilson said: “The referee didn’t say a word. He couldn’t look me in the eye.

“He just got into his room as quickly as he could which is about right. What does he want a little dwarf like me having a go at him for?”

The Owls scored twice in the last eight minutes to snatch a point after going 2-0 down inside the opening 20 minutes thanks to goals from Stephen Quinn and Ched Evans.

Chris O’Grady started the revival with his first goal for the club before Madine scored his 11th goal of the season.

“The referee saw something because he put his whistle to his mouth,” Wilson continued. “Then he decides not to blow. That’s the frustration of it because we defended those types of balls into the box well throughout the game.

“It’s a strength of Wednesday, long throws and free-kicks, but on the occasion that you want that little bit of help from the referee we didn’t get it.”

Wednesday manager Gary Megson celebrated on the pitch with his players at the final whistle, and kissed the club badge he was wearing in a gesture to the away supporters.

Over 28,000 attended yesterday’s game including 4,300 who had travelled across the city. Another 11,000 Wednesday supporters, who were unable to get tickets for the game, watched a live beamback at Hillsborough.

“Our support was fantastic,” said Megson. “I had told the players before the game at 10 o’clock, and before they went out, that they would find out today what playing for Sheffield Wednesday was all about. Our support was unbelievable. It felt like being at Hillsborough with the amount of noise they made.”

Megson, a lifelong Wednesday-ite, insisted that his side’s performance fully merited a point.

“We have already got the stats – they have had two efforts on target and we have had 10,” he said. “They had two shots on goal and they have both gone in.

“Although we were 2-0 down, I didn’t get upset at half-time,” he insisted. “ We were just incredulous at where we were after 45 minutes.

“But I always said if we get the next goal, we would go on and not get beat. Whether we would win depended when that goal came.

“We have a lot of things going for us,” he added. “We have got that fitness and more than anything else we have got that honesty.

“We passed the ball better, the closing down was terrific from both sides, but I just felt that we were on top for most of the game.”

The result leaves the Owls just two points off the top of the League One table in third place while the Blades are five points behind in seventh spot.