Leeds United not safe yet says Evans as he blasts ref's '˜unacceptable' performance

Evans was unhappy with Kavanagh’s dismissal of Alex Mowatt in the closing seconds of the game for a challenge on Ryan Shotton and also with a number of other decisions that he made.

Evans saw Leeds power into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals at the start of each half from Stuart Dallas before Clayton Donaldson reduced the arrears in the 53rd minute.

The Leeds manager said: “We had to endure a referee’s performance that can’t be acceptable really.

“He gives a red card that is never a red and he gives a free-kick from which they score from the rebound which was never a free-kick.

“The referee is an honest guy and he is usually a good performer.

“This was an official who is normally very good having a poor night. I think we saw that when a Birmingham player put the ball out for a goal kick and he gave a corner. He apologised to some of my staff at half-time but that can’t be right.

“We will appeal 100 per cent the sending-off. He slid in with his feet on the floor and it is a yellow card at best. The referee, for both teams, looked like he had lost control a little bit. He is an honest guy and I will ask him to look at it (the sending-off).

“But I would prefer to concentrate more on our performance which was very, very good.

“All the offensive players in the first half caused problems. The disappointing thing was that it was only 1-0 at half-time and not more.”

On his side’s Championship status, Evans added: “We’re not safe yet, I’m not going to stand like a lemon in six weeks time and have people saying ‘you told us we were safe’.

“We can beat Reading on Saturday first, then I can enjoy a glass of wine. We’ve not had our rewards in recent weeks and I said to the players ‘we have to fight harder’. We know we should have won at Burnley (on Saturday) and but for a penalty for Queens Park Rangers in the 89th minute, we would have beaten them.

“In the first half Birmingham couldn’t live with us. I don’t think Burnley could on Saturday either. All the attacking offensive players caused real havoc and the only disappointing thing was that it was 1-0 at half-time, not more.”