Michael Carrick has revealed his frustration at the match officials following his Middlesbrough side’s loss to Leeds United on Monday night, which has impacted the race for Championship promotion.
It took guts and nerve, but Leeds United managed to squeeze their way past Middlesbrough on Monday night to add another three points to their season tally.
The Whites, who are looking for an instant return to the Premier League, went behind early in the match but fought their way back into it.
Crysencio Summerville scored twice, with Wilfried Gnonto and Patrick Bamford joining him on the scoresheet.
Three goals conceded in the other direction didn’t help ease any nervous tension, but fortunately for Leeds boss Daniel Farke, his side managed to hold on.
It was a victory that put The Whites back into the automatic promotion places in the Championship, with two matches of their campaign remaining.
However, it was a game that wasn’t without its controversies, with some decisions from the match officials being called into question.
Middlesbrough vs Leeds United referee decisions
One of the main points of contention in Leeds United’s clash with Middlesbrough was an offside call that wasn’t given.
Gnonto appeared to be beyond the last line of defenders when he was played through on goal, tucking the ball away shortly after.
The match official on the touchline didn’t raise his flag though, resulting in a goal being awarded to Leeds.
There were also questions surrounding the amount of added time that was given at the end of the game, with Middlesbrough pushing for a late equaliser.
Michael Carrick on Leeds United refereeing decisions
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick believes that Leeds had both the offside decision work in their favour, as well as the added time factor.
Speaking to the press after the game, the former England midfielder said, via the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We went for it, threw everything at them and the offside goal is a massive, massive decision, not just for us, maybe for other teams in the bigger picture too.
“The line is impeccable really, three of them hold the line and you expect offsides given, it was too clear not to be.
“I got frustrated with the added time.
“The board goes up for five minutes, and we end up getting about 18 seconds added on but the ball was out of play for 90 seconds, two minutes within that five minutes.
“Little bit frustrating.”
Leeds United promotion picture
In contrast, Daniel Farke thought his side deserved some luck with referee decisions, following some contentious calls against the team in previous matches.
In the grand scheme of things, those decisions can’t be changed now, and it leaves the Elland Road outfit second in the Championship.
With a huge clash against QPR on Friday, there’s a quick turnaround to ensure that the season ends on a strong note.
The Whites are relying on help elsewhere, with Ipswich Town and Leicester City holding games in hand heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
However, if Farke’s side can continue to string wins together, they may still have a good shot at landing promotion back to the Premier League.