Wolves: Ref got it wrong says Mick McCarthy

Oct 2 2011 by Lee Gibson, Sunday Mercury

MICK McCarthy accused referee Mark Halsey of ‘ripping the heart out’ of his side with two key decisions.

Demba Ba and Jonas Gutierrez gave the visitors the points with first half goals before Steven Fletcher headed home two minutes from time.

But McCarthy felt aggrieved at Halsey’s decision to award a free-kick to Jamie O’Hara after he was felled a yard inside the box by Steven Taylor at the end of the first half.

Then in the second minute of five added on at the end of the game Kevin Doyle thought he had nicked a point but the linesman raised his flag, adjudging that Matt Jarvis’ headed knock-back had crossed the byline.

Whereas Alan Pardew said the decision was tight, McCarthy was seething. “I am not going to blame them (the officials) although I guess that is what you all want me to do,” he said.

“I am probably justified in doing so but we gave two goals away to start with. We didn’t defend a corner particularly well, then conceded another soft one, albeit from a good finish.