Fulham head coach Slavisa Jokanovic said referee Geoff Eltringham was correct with crucial penalty decisions at either end of the pitch after the Whites’ first win on Teesside in more than three decades was tinged with controversy.
County Durham official Eltringham angered the home fans and Boro boss Tony Pulis after failing to award Middlesbrough a penalty when Fulham substitute Tomas Kalas appealed to bundle over Marlon Braithwaite in the box. Whilst Pulis was convinced his side should have been given a spot-kick, Jokanovic felt the collision was more of an accidental coming together.
Asked about the incident during his post-match press conference, the Serbian head coach said:
They pushed each other and the referee was in [a] perfect position to make the decision.
The Fulham boss was similarly forthright when quizzed on the referee’s award of a stoppage-time spot-kick when Ollie Norwood tumbled over Grant Leadbitter’s challenge. Jokanovic said:
For our penalty, it was clearly a contact between Norwood and the Boro player and, again, the referee was in the perfect position to give the penalty.
I find it laughable that Jovanovic says he had a game plan.
If so ,it didn’t work. In the first half the Boro dominated
the game and should have been at least two goals
ahead at half time. That , admittedly was due to Boro
missing easy goal scoring chances. Traore ran
wonder boy Sessignon ragged and the lad
must have been glad when half time came.
Jovanovic’s game plan for the second half
was obviously to take Traore out.
This was done with a cynical tackle
which should have resulted in the
guilty Fulham pyayer being sent off.
Fulham didn’t win this game.
Boro and the referee gave it to them.
All the video shots showed that
Braithwaite was wrestled to the ground
and the independent pundits all agreed
it was a stonewall penalty. This referee
should be suspended or given an eye test.
He was as bad as the Sunderland team
he supports.All in all I have never seen
a team so overrun as Fulham were in the
first half. It was only when Traore
was taken off due to injury ( deliberately
inflicted) that Boro faded. The penalty given
to Fulham was a dive by Norwood.Again
this was shown in slow motion by video.
I suppose this is all we can expect
from a ref who gave all contentious
decisions to Fulham. If he has got any
guts at all he will give his reasons
for his actions. However I think
he will hide behind the football
league banner.
haha, how funny, very gracious in defeat I see. Enjoy your football under pulis