Warnock slams refereeing decisions

Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock was fuming with referee Michael Oliver after their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Warnock claimed Oliver should have awarded his side two penalties during the match at Loftus Road.

The visitors took the lead in controversial circumstances, after Armand Traore was adjudged to have pulled Gabriel Agonlahor down in the box, before Barry Bannan slotted the penalty home.

But Oliver, according to Warnock, failed to award his side two spot kicks after Alan Hutton handled the ball.

“I think the first one [Hutton handball], the statistician’s gave it down as a save, not handball, I think he’s saved that,” Warnock told Sky Sports.

“How can a referee or the linesman not see that? He’s in a good position there.”

“Hutton deliberately hand balls it and the second one, we’re told that if you raise your hands it’s a handball and he’s raised his hands against Tommy Smith.”

“The first one is embarrassing, how that cannot be given as a penalty, he can’t even say he’s in a bad position, my boys deserve better than that.”

The former Sheffield United boss was equally as livid regarding the penalty awarded to Alex McLeish’s side.

“Talking about a penalty, Traore’s penalty, come on!” he added.

“I’ve never seen anything like that, he blows up, he wants to give the penalty and that’s wrong.”

In contrast, McLeish defended the refereeing, claiming Oliver made the right decision to award his team a penalty.

“I thought it was a penalty. As soon as he blew his whistle and pointed, I knew. I felt Gabi Agbonlahor was impeded,” McLeish said.

“I also know QPR claimed for a couple that hit Hutton’s arm but if you’re going to give penalties for those, then I think we’ve just got to say any time it hits somebody’s hand or arm, it’s a penalty. We would end up seeing a lot more goals.”

When asked whether defender Traore should have been sent off for the penalty incident, McLeish was coy. As it happened, the former Arsenal starlet was shown a red card in the latter stages for a second bookable offence.

“That’s a good point, but I wasn’t screaming out for that. I was quite happy to get the penalty,” he said.

“Some decisions we didn’t get, some decisions they got.”

The former Birmingham boss was disappointed his side were not able to hold on for a much-needed victory as Richard Dunne was left red-faced as his late own-goal gifted QPR a point.

“I’m gutted we threw it away in the dying embers of the game, after a second-half performance which was much more what I expect of these players,” he said.

“The first half was pretty woeful, and I let them know that at half-time. Fortunately we restricted QPR in terms of gilt-edged chances in the first half.”

“The back five defended well, and the irony of it is that the two top players ended up being involved in the equalising goal. I felt sorry for those guys.”