Championship referees under attack

A late winner from Chris Eagles

Wednesday boss Dave Jones laid into referee Darren Sheldrake on Sky Sports News on Tuesday night. He'd seen his side, already in front against Watford, be denied a penalty or goal. It was a controversial incident that saw Nyron Nosworthy handle the ball before it crossed the line, but nothing was given.

"If I can see the handball from 60 yards away and all my players can see it, then why can't the officials see it?" blasted Jones. In his television interview he argued that the standard of refereeing is currently nowhere near good enough. I think you'll find a lot of people agreeing with that right now.

Meanwhile, Ipswich had two players sent off at Nottingham Forest. Mick McCarthy wasn't at all happy either, but more so with the antics of Little Billy's Forest players.

McCarthy had no argument with the straight red for Lee Martin for retaliation after he'd been stamped on. He said: "Lee retaliated after the guy caught him on the ankle but it's always the player who retaliates who gets done.

"I can't argue with that red card and it's disappointing obviously. I did not like the way the player rolled around though. Lee didn't make that much contact."

McCarthy didn't think Richard Stearman's second yellow was just and again accused Andy Reid of going down and rolling around. What made it worse was Forest grabbing a late winner against nine men.

Whilst on the subject of referees, I've had the chance to take a second look at the two major decisions at Burnley and Boyeson most definitely got both wrong. Stephen Foster should have walked for the pull back on Martin Paterson and heaven knows how the penalty has not been given.

All the B teams played each other in four games on Tuesday and, besides ours, the one of interest was that between Bolton and Blackburn at the Reebok. I was asked before kick off which of the two I wanted to win the game. As if I needed asking.

Chris Eagles was a player who always got mixed reviews at Burnley. His popularity over at Bolton is lower than it ever was during his three years at Turf Moor but he was a hero to both sets of fans when he scored the winner deep into stoppage time. I always found myself chanting EAGLES - EAGLES.

Which takes us nicely onto the other Eagles, Crystal Palace. One thing this lot are good at is winning penalties. They got another two on Tuesday. Glenn Murray missed yet another but when the second came round it was given to Kevin Phillips. He scored in first half stoppage time and within just a few minutes of the second half starting he'd completed a hat trick.

He's only three short of 250 career league goals. He's not far off 40 but you have to wonder what the hell Blackpool are doing letting him play down at Palace on loan.

Phillips was scoring a hat trick at one London ground but there was something far more rare at another, a Wolves win. It was a first for Dean Saunders and Wolves' first since the Saturday before Christmas.

It was enough to lift them out of the bottom three so Barnsley are back in there along with Peterborough and Bristol City. Up at the top it's the Udinese franchise of Hertfordshire in second place.

They are in a battle now with Hull and Palace, and it was Hull that Palace beat 4-2 with that Phillips hat trick, for the second automatic promotion place. That's assuming none of them catch Cardiff who might just be going into end of season cock it up form.

The results from Tuesday are below along with the usual stats and the next fixtures.