Sheffield United 3 Crystal Palace 2: Blades battle back but referee faces scrutiny

The official gave two ridiculous penalties, flashed two red cards and missed a blatant offside which sparked an amazing comeback by the Blades. It left fans, players and managers to be harmonious in condemnation of Taylor.

The only folk who would have been cheering Taylor, on the Premier League list of referees this season, were the Sky television staff as the referee's first-half performance brought pantomime season early to Sheffield.

Take away the two spot-kicks and this was as dire a 45 minutes of Championship football as you could wish for.

But the Manchester official ruled Jean Calve had nudged Neil Danns in the back as they chased a hopeless cross by Alassane N'Diaye.

Danns bounced up to line up the spot-kick and blasted the ball down the centre of goal with Steve Simonsen helpless.

In entertainment terms, that was pretty much it for the first half hour. United relied far too heavily on the set-piece delivery from on-loan midfielder Andy Reid, who must have wondered what he had agreed to after swapping the lofty heights of the Premier League with Sunderland for a foggy Bramall Lane.

Enter stage right, Taylor. Evans chased a lost cause, and as Nathaniel Clyne came across to clear, he blocked off the Blades striker and to the amazement of everyone, the referee pointed to the spot.

It was all too much for the lippy Owen Garvan, who argued too long with the referee and when he failed to keep his mouth shut on the initial yellow card, Taylor brandished a second card and the Irishman was heading for an early bath.

Richard Cresswell made no mistake from the penalty spot, blasting hard and low into Julian Speroni's left-hand corner.

United came out in the second half looking like a different side as they took the game to the 10 men from Palace. The best chance fell to Evans in the 49th minute, Reid picking him out unmarked at the far post with a curling cross, but the 3m Wales striker was unable to keep his header down.

The Lane supporters finally found their voices, and from a swift throw-in, Cresswell was afforded too much space as he allowed the ball to bounce before toe-poking agonisingly the wrong side of Speroni's post.

United were piling on the pressure as both Stephen Jordan and Cresswell headed over when well-placed.

Palace though were by no means out of this, and the deft touch of Wilfried Zaha – who has all the tricks, but little end product – left Jordan bamboozled, but he failed to pick a white shirt out and the chance was gone.

The game was now being stretched, and Cresswell was left holding his head in his hands after his close-range header was blocked by Speroni.

Straight up the other end and Palace took the lead. The overlapping run of right-back Clyne was not picked up by the Blades and his pin-point cross was met by James Vaughan whose header crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

United were unlucky not to find an immediate response. The ball was fizzing around the penalty area in front of the visiting Palace fans, when Mark Yeates shot goalwards only for Speroni to flick the shot against the post and the ball trickled away to safety.

And Yeates was left claiming for handball with 15 minutes to go as his snap shot was charged down by the Palace defence, with former United defender Claude Davis the rock on which most home attacks floundered.

United's pressure finally told with an equaliser in the 84th minute, but once again the officials were left red-faced. Reid's cross found Kyle Bartley, the on-loan defender's header was blocked by Speroni, but Evans – clearly two yards offside – followed up to poke the ball home.

And two minutes later the Blades capped an amazing comeback when substitute Daniel Bogdanovic was tripped inside the area and the former Barnsley striker stepped up to convert the spot-kick.

Maybe it was fitting that Taylor – who in 15 games this season has shown 55 yellow cards and seven red, including two in the Yorkshire derby at Elland Road in September between Leeds United and the Blades – should have the final word.

He showed a bemused Bogdanovic a straight red card for a lunge on Clyne, the referee leaving the field to a chorus of jeers from all four sides of the ground.

Both managers were united in their appraisal of Taylor.

"I thought both penalties in the first half were dubious," said Blades boss Gary Speed. "I think the referee knew he made a mistake with their penalty and he gave us one to even it up.

"I think the penalty he gave us for the winner was the only definite penalty of the night."

Eagles boss George Burley added: "I have had a wee chat with the referee because I thought he had a poor performance. You put a report in and an assessor looks at it but it's too late by then.

"A decision where the lad (Evans) is three yards offside for their equaliser (at 2-2) cost us.

"When you look at their first penalty and then the offside goal, they were key to the game and they cost us."

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