Ex-Leeds United pair Neil Warnock and Stuart Dallas slam error dubbed a 'disgrace' in Middlesbrough game
Former Leeds United pair Stuart Dallas and Neil Warnock have slammed assistant referee Darren Williams for disallowing Ao Tanaka's first-half goal at the Riverside Stadium.
Leeds felt hard done by at the break against Middlesbrough, only one goal to the good instead of two, after Tanaka's strike was erroneously ruled out for offside.
The assistant referee's flag went up as the Japan international peeled off the shoulder of Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney to prod home a deep Manor Solomon cross from inside the six-yard box. Tanaka protested, insistent he had timed his run to perfection. The midfielder was vindicated by Sky Sports replays which confirmed the goal should have stood and that the officiating team had got the decision wrong.
"This is a definite goal. The linesman's in a great position, that's bread and butter," Warnock said in the Sky studio at half-time. "That's a disgrace, that."
"He knows he's hard done by it's a ridiculous decision yet again," Dallas added. "There's nobody held accountable for it, really. Leeds will probably get a letter during the week to apologise for it. It's fine margins at this level. It's okay now as Leeds are leading, the other two [Burnley and Sheffield United] are dropping points, but by the end of the game, it could finish one each [against Boro], the other two teams could win, and then all of a sudden there's a massive gap and there's nobody held accountable for it.
"It's an absolutely ridiculous decision. As Neil says it's a bread and butter decision. He's looking right down the barrel of it. How he gets it wrong? I don't know, but here we are."
How did Farke react?
Leeds manager Daniel Farke, meanwhile, was irate on the touchline upon seeing a replay of the decision which showed Tanaka onside.