Ref’s horror show so vital

Lee Croft gets in a tangle with the Sheffield United defence.

Athletic 0, Sheff United 2 

ONE experienced Athletic player said he had never seen a performance as bad in his entire career.

The Main Stand at Boundary Park, not always home to rabble-rousers, was animated and unified in hurling abuse both at half-time and after the final whistle.

And even the management could barely believe what they were witnessing.

Tony Philliskirk didn’t need to risk an FA charge by revealing his true feelings to the press men in the Boundary Park gym that doubles as a media room.

“Less is more” was how he subtly described his silence.

Up at the back of the Main Stand, one man on the mic was left chuckling at what was unfolding on the pitch. Keith Edwards used to partner Philliskirk in the Blades’ forward line in the mid-1980s and on Saturday, even with his United head on as a BBC Radio Sheffield summariser, he had sympathy for his former colleague.

Because referee Andy Woolmer had an horrific afternoon with the whistle. And his decisions contributed to a defeat for Athletic which sends the club back into the bottom four.

Make no mistake – Sheffield United were narrowly the better of the two sides here and deservedly won thanks to second-half goals from Michael Doyle and Dave Kitson. With both strikes, Athletic were complicit in their own downfall.

But Woolmer made poor decisions at crucial moments. After Philliskirk’s men had gone behind in the second half, he turned down a penalty appeal from Robbie Simpson after he was shoved in the back jumping for a header at the far post.

Clearly, even allowing for a spot of embellishment when Simpson crashed to the floor, a spot-kick should have been awarded.

At the very least, Athletic should have had a free-kick for a clear shirt-tug on Jordan Obita in the build-up.

Moments before the Blades’ second goal, Obita was also penalised for a non-foul after Tony McMahon threw himself at a diving header.

But the coup de grace came later.

Woolmer, a postie by day, delivered the latest in a string of second-class verdicts after Matt Smith had been bundled to the floor by a pair of rock-solid United defenders inside the box. His view? A free-kick to the visitors.

By that stage, even Philliskirk couldn’t bear it. Athletic’s caretaker manager is himself a former referee who was

fast-tracked to UniBond League level prior to linking up with the Boundary Park backroom team a decade and a half ago.

Unlike his predecessor Paul Dickov, he is not disposed to rants at fourth officials from the technical area.

But the Smith decision was so unfathomable that Philliskirk – along with right-hand man Paul Gerrard - turned his back to the game, hands clasped around his head as if trying to stimulate his brain into processing such abject nonsense.

Lest this should appear a one-eyed rant, there were also a series of awful calls that went Athletic’s way from time to time.

And during this defeat, a first for Philliskirk in npower League One, the self-inflicted damage cannot afford to be forgotten amid the referee rage.

James Tarkowski won’t look back on his part in the first strike with any fondness. He dallied a split second too long on the ball near the touchline and lightning-fast Dominic Poleon robbed him and advanced before hitting a shot that was blocked by the recalled Alex Cisak.

Michael Doyle made a very neat job of slotting home the rebound.

It was a clinical finish which said much about the Blades’ ruthlessness.

Ultra-mean at the back – this was a fifth clean sheet in a row – physical, experienced and with the ability to carve out chances, Danny Wilson’s side are a good fit for success in a mediocre division.

They were aided both by the officials’ bad day at the office and Athletic’s own negligence.

The second goal conceded won’t feature on Alex Cisak’s CV when he seeks future employment.

He raced from his goal to the edge of the penalty area seeking to punch clear an innocuous floated cross from deep. Wily Dave Kitson – a rival for Smith in the well-spoken target-man stakes – netted with a header he beat the onrushing Cisak to.

Athletic should not have been penalised for a phantom Obita shove. But Cisak should also have known better than to risk an

18-yard race to the ball.

Luck and good judgement alike deserted Philliskirk’s men.

The pitch was not conducive to good football. It was rock-hard and the ball rarely ran true.

It did not make for a flowing game and the main goalmouth highlights in the first half concerned Tony McMahon hitting the side-netting with a free-kick from long range, Harry Maguire connecting weakly when well-placed, allowing Cisak to push his shot aside, and Jose Baxter firing narrowly over when afforded space close to the interval.

There was little in a contest dominated by midfield challenges and a mistake was always the likeliest route to an opening goal.

So it arrived shortly before the hour, with Tarkowski culpable.

Poleon could have doubled the Blades’ lead soon after, only to air-kick when released on goal.

Then came the first penalty that wasn’t, with Simpson feeling aggrieved. The forward had

earlier been booked after appearing to win the ball in a tackle.

Smith turned a header from a Lee Croft cross wide as Athletic, camped in Blades territory, worked hard to prise an opening.

The same man was penalised by Woolmer after apparently being felled in the area before he hit a volley which George Long saved.

Cisak pushed aside a volley from McMahon after conceding the crucial second goal and the game was up for Athletic, who must now forget the hard luck tales and concentrate on triumphing in more obviously winnable battles to come against closer rivals.