Jesse Marsch blasts referee after Ivan Toney hat-trick condemns Leeds United to defeat

Jesse Marsch accused the officials of a “lack of respect” after Ivan Toney’s hat-trick condemned Leeds to a 5-2 defeat at Brentford.

Marsch was sent to the stands for protesting when his side were denied a penalty, after they had conceded the opening goal to a spot-kick following a lengthy VAR review.

Referee Robert Jones studied the replays on the pitchside monitor before deciding Toney had been fouled by Luis Sinisterra.

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But Marsch exploded with rage when there was no such review after Crysencio Summerville was tugged back by Aaron Hickey.

Leeds United's Marc Roca (right) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)Leeds United's Marc Roca (right) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Leeds United's Marc Roca (right) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

“I was calm, even when Brentford were given the penalty,” said Marsch. “Even though I didn’t see it right away, but normally when the phrasing and verbiage is ‘clear and obvious’ and it takes that long to look at it, then for me it’s not clear and obvious.

“And when I saw it at half-time, I don’t believe it’s a penalty and if it is, it’s an incredibly soft one.

“Then there’s an action where I think Somerville is actually more of an egregious foul and it doesn’t even get looked at for VAR.

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“I’m clearly dissatisfied. I’ve got to figure out how to have discussions with the League or with referees or something to help understand how some decisions get made.

Brentford's Aaron Hickey (left) and Leeds United's Luis Sinisterra battle for the ball (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)Brentford's Aaron Hickey (left) and Leeds United's Luis Sinisterra battle for the ball (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Brentford's Aaron Hickey (left) and Leeds United's Luis Sinisterra battle for the ball (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

“I was speaking with the fourth official, trying to be as respectful as I possibly could, even when a penalty was given that I probably didn’t think was a penalty. And then you don’t see it reciprocated, the respect.

“That’s what I would call it. That lack of VAR visit in the end to me is a lack of respect.”

Toney tucked away his 18th penalty from 18 attempts to take his Bees goal tally to 50 in 96 appearances.

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The striker was not going to settle for a half century, though, and he curled in a sublime free-kick for Brentford’s second.

Brentford's Ivan Toney (left) celebrates scoring their side's second goal against Leeds (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)Brentford's Ivan Toney (left) celebrates scoring their side's second goal against Leeds (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Brentford's Ivan Toney (left) celebrates scoring their side's second goal against Leeds (Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Sinisterra pulled one back for Leeds before half-time but Toney restored the two-goal cushion with a cute chip after Leeds Illan Meslier came charging out of his goal.

In a breathless finale Bryan Mbeumo added the fourth and Marc Roca pulled another back before Yoane Wissa wrapped up a deserved win for the hosts.

Patrick Bamford admits mistakes cost Leeds United dear in Saturday's "naive" display at Brentford but has explained how the Whites can cut them out in future.

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Ivan Toney put Brentford 2-0 up inside 43 minutes via two set pieces as Leeds were punished for Luis Sinisterra's challenge for a penalty and Robin Koch's collision with Shandon Baptiste for a free-kick.

Leeds then put themselves back in contention as Sinisterra applied a fine finish but Toney completed a hat-trick after Diego Llorente and Koch failed to deal with a through ball and a second Whites recovery then proved short lived.

Marc Roca's strike again reduced the deficit but Leeds were undone by another long ball just one minute later as Bryan Mbeumo netted and Yoanne Wissa then capitalised on a lapse from Diego Llorente to make it 5-2 in the 91st minute.

Patrick Bamford admits mistakes cost Leeds United dear in Saturday's "naive" display.

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Bamford agreed with his manager that they should probably have been awarded a penalty themselves when Summerville was sent tumbling by Hickey but the Whites no 9 admitted Leeds were guilty of throwing away a potential recovery when conceding so quickly after scoring themselves.

Bamford, though, says a young Whites group can benefit from the pain longer term by learning from the experience and becoming 'leaders' on the pitch.

"There's always mistakes in games," said Bamford.

"Most of the time they lead to the goals and that's what happened unfortunately for us.

"We are a young group and we've got to learn from it quickly. It's pretty frustrating."

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Asked how Leeds could stamp those mistakes out, Bamford said: "I think it's just people becoming leaders on the pitch and you don't become that until you learn.

"You go through these tough situations and come out the other side of them.

"I think you will always say that each game is a learning curve but it was just naive from us ."

Brentford: Raya, Hickey, Jansson, Mee, Henry, Baptiste (Onyeka 59), Janelt (Jorgensen 67), Jensen (Damsgaard 83), Mbeumo (Wissa 83), Toney, Lewis-Potter (Dasilva 59). Unused substitutes: Ghoddos, Ajer, Strakosha, Roerslev.

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Leeds: Meslier, Drameh (Ayling 71), Koch, Llorente, Struijk, Adams,

Roca (Greenwood 86), Sinisterra (Summerville 59), Aaronson, Harrison (Bamford 46), Gelhardt (Klich 59). Unused substitutes: Forshaw, Cooper, Klaesson, Hjelde.

Referee: obert Jones (Merseyside).