Leeds United 0 Middlesbrough 1: Managers see red as referee’s decisions mar derby

Certainly, the 25,615 punters who filed through the Elland Road turnstiles for the first all-Yorkshire meeting of the Championship season were left cursing their luck after watching hapless referee Anthony Taylor ruin what should have been an absorbing contest.

By dishing out 10 yellow cards and dismissing three players, the Manchester official ensured no-one, not even the 2,400 Boro supporters who were able to celebrate a fourth win in five visits to Leeds, got value for money.

Through a series of nonsensical and bizarre decisions, Taylor managed that rare thing in football – uniting rival managers, with both Simon Grayson and Tony Mowbray stressing ahead of their respective post-match press conferences that they would be biting their tongues for fear of getting into trouble with the FA.

Such reticence was understandable after an afternoon that had seen Max Gradel and Jonny Howson dismissed for Leeds along with Boro full-back Tony McMahon.

The trio of red cards were for two cautions apiece and all three players had genuine cause for complaint.

McMahon must wonder just what he did wrong after picking up two of the softest yellow cards that will be seen all season.

The first was for a 50-50 challenge with Gradel on eight minutes that saw the Leeds man also booked as Taylor first displayed his tendency to overreact to the most innocuous of incidents.

McMahon’s second caution in first-half stoppage time was, if anything, even more harsh, the defender being ‘guilty’ of nothing more than being run into by Howson.

Taylor’s brandishing of the yellow card just before the interval smacked of evening up the stakes with Gradel having already departed by that stage following a mis-timed sliding tackle on McMahon.

Both players could consider themselves harshly done to, though in terms of the contest Taylor’s tendency to rashly brandish the cards did suggest the paying public could, at least, look forward to an enjoyable second half.

That was, indeed, what they got for 15 minutes after the restart with Tom Lees having a looping header cleared off the line by Matthew Bates and Leigh Bromby showing great awareness to clear a dangerous corner from Barry Robson as several Boro players waited to pounce.

But then, just as the game reached the hour mark, Taylor again stepped centre stage to ruin any hopes of a pulsating final 30 minutes with another controversial call after Boro striker Marvin Emnes had crashed to the ground when racing past Howson.

Initially, Taylor awarded Leeds the free-kick and intimated that the prone striker was going to be shown a yellow card for diving.

However, as Emnes continued to roll theatrically around on the floor, the referee suddenly reversed his decision and indicated a Boro free-kick before showing Howson his second yellow card of the afternoon.

The United bench were furious with the about-turn, though this was nothing compared to the anger that followed Emnes netting what turned out to be the only goal of the game just seven minutes later with a deft turn past Lees and a fierce shot into the roof of the net.

Grayson said: “The game was spoiled by the red cards. And he is a Premier League referee.

“How they (Gradel and McMahon) can both be booked for a 50-50 challenge in the first five minutes of a Championship game is beyond me. He could quite easily have said to both players that it was a decent tackle and given a drop ball.

“But, instead, he made a rod for his own back. As for his second yellow card, Max has to learn he can’t make those challenges after being booked.

“McMahon shouldn’t have been sent off just before half-time. That wasn’t a second booking and the referee did it to even things up.”

On Howson’s dismissal, Grayson added: “As the lad broke away, the referee gave us a free-kick.

“He (Taylor) told me after the game that he was going to book the lad (Emnes) for diving. But he couldn’t because he was on the floor.

“In the meantime, the fourth official, who was 60 yards away, told him to change his mind and book Jonny Howson.

“When you are making a decision like that, you have to be 100 per cent sure. And how the referee doesn’t over-rule the fourth official amazes me.

“Their lad clipped Jonny as he got away. Jonny didn’t trip him up or anything like that.”

Grayson’s frustration at the final whistle was understandable, especially as defeat to Boro means Leeds will go into tomorrow night’s derby with Hull City still searching for their first point.

Whether United can achieve that without the suspended Howson and Gradel remains to be seen. But what will surely buoy Grayson will be that his side’s performance was much improved on the woeful opening day effort at Southampton.

In midfield, Adam Clayton again shone with his outrageous 45-yard shot during the first half coming within a whisker of embarrassing Boro goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

The United defence looked more solid following the drafting in of Lees and Bromby, and Lonergan was outstanding to keep out stinging efforts from Justin Hoyte, Emnes and Malaury Martin.

Going forward, though, is more of a worry with a lack of a physical presence up front meaning much of United’s play broke down before the five-man midfield could race forward in support. This was apparent throughout the 90 minutes and not just when Leeds were at a numerical disadvantage. No wonder, therefore, that Grayson vowed to crank up his efforts to bring in a loan striker before tomorrow’s visit of the Tigers.