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Liam Manning and Joey Barton criticise refereeing after bizarre decisions with 3 red cards

Liam Manning and Joey Barton criticise the standard of refereeing after some rather bizarre decisions with 3 red cards dished out.

Oxford United suffered a late scare in their 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers in what played out to be a fiery League One fixture.

The hosts were ahead on the 13th minute after Ruben Rodrigues found an immaculate disguised pass into Billy Bodin who controlled with his chest, went past one man and rifled home for the lead.

Rovers then went down to 10 men in the 63rd minute when Jevani Brown picked up a second yellow card for tripping Josh Murphy.

Oxford effectively sealed the win nine minutes from time with defender Sam Long nodding in at close range following Cameron Brannagan’s corner.

However, Bristol Rovers’ Aaron Collins got one back in the 89th minute, shooting high into the net.

But then Oxford saw two of their substitutes sent off in stoppage time with Oisin Smyth picking up two yellow cards, and then Stan Mills was shown a straight red card for what the referee deemed to be violent conduct after clashing with Sam Finley.

Oxford boss Liam Manning said on Mills’ red card, as per Oxford Mail: “I need to see it back before I potentially get myself in trouble.

“I don’t want to talk about the referee to be honest, it’s not worth putting the energy into it.

“We made it hard for ourselves at the end with the discipline that we showed. We need to be more disciplined with the ball and not be giving opportunities to make mad decisions.

“Oisin has apologised and I need to look back at Stan’s, but from where I was stood, it looked extremely soft.”

Quizzed on the quality of refereeing in general, Manning said: “The level unfortunately with what we’re getting every week at the minute, for me doesn’t meet the standard that we need.

“It’s not to say everybody’s poor, there are some good referees at the level, but unfortunately there’s not enough.

“The frustrating thing is the big decisions in games and outcomes of games are being decided by them.

“It’s just that consistency which is extremely frustrating.

“I understand human errors are going to happen, they’re going to get bits tight and wrong, but it’s just too many instances where it’s wrong.”

Meanwhile, Rovers’ Joey Barton said, as  per Oxford Mail: “I don’t really want to come here speaking about refereeing calls and decisions because I feel severely aggrieved by his performance today.

“You know what it’s like, we’ll get fined if we tell the truth, but clearly anybody who observed that or watched that will see a lack of control from the officiating team for most of the game.”

He claimed Josh Murphy had dived in the incident which saw Jevani Brown handed a second booking, and thought Oxford’s Elliott Moore deserved more than a yellow card for a foul on Brown early in the second half.

“Jevani doesn’t make any contact with the boy – he dives and gets him the second yellow,” said Barton.

“Moore comes right through the back of our player with the foot really high and out of control, and he’s given him a yellow card.

“To compound that, Jevani ends up picking up his second yellow.

“I think the officials will look at that game and certainly when they debrief it, I think there’ll be a lot of things they wished they’d done differently.”

Barton went on: “We have to accept there’s going to be an element of human error.

“Sometimes they’re going to get it right and have great games, like players, and sometimes they’re gong to get it wrong and have poor games.

“We’ve got to give them the accountability and responsibility of running the game.

“Everyone knows who was here today that we were the better side. If they don’t, then they don’t understand the game of football.

“They were in the lead against the run of play in their own stadium, where we’re told they’ve got their tail up, but I think we showed who strongest group is.

“Oxford are a good side on a good run, but they’re no way near as good as us.”

Fans reacted as Liam Manning and Joey Barton criticise the standard of refereeing after bizarre decisions with 3 red cards dished out…

@fin_oufc (on Mills red card): From the stands i thought it was red tbh, watching that back no chance is it

@Ollie_52: Howler of a decision

@weirdfishes86: I’m a Rovers fan and this is insane…..what did he do?

@AVaughan87: That is shocking that. Won the ball. Then gets pushed in the face. Jesus.

@Ian09174476: Ref had no idea. Lino basically made him give a red. We have to appeal this

@DBoufc: WTF how is that a Red?? If anything the ref missed 2 clear fouls on US leading upto this

@Chrisdays8: I was sat directly in front of this, I said straight away that he got the ball….. The linesman made the decision. The ref and lino had a nightmare today

@barrywedge1: I take it back. How is that a red card?

@oufcoli: The fact the rovers player takes the throw in says it all

@PaishyGashead: Ref was awful all game

@DP9115: Ref had a stinker for both sides. Tried to make it all about him.

@benjokelly: Astonishing, the ref today was atrocious for both teams

@KieranMilward: No way is that a red, not even sure it’s a yellow!

@weeksy11: Never a red

@food219: The games gone, if that’s a red

@Roo238766046479: That is a very strange decision… but then the ref had been doing that all game..

@wltmpkns: what planet is that lino on man. no way thats a red

@joffbrown: That’s an abysmal decision. One of the worst refs I’ve ever seen. Stitched up both teams.

@Martinhenry42: Play on! That’s not a red!

@Sam_OUFC: In what world is that a red

@kieranr2512: Awful ref all game. Sam Finley getting up and attempting to take the throw tells you everything you need to know, particularly with diving in football now

@mickramage: Absolutely no way is that a red card, it’s debatable whether it’s even a foul. Their players reaction was worse than what Mills did

@HicksDanny: Their player doesn’t even stay down. That’s ridiculous

@oufcbish: One of the worse decisions ever in football. Absolutely shocking.

@bensteck: Ever seen a red card before where the player on the end of the challenge doesn’t even think it’s a foul and takes a throw in? #oufc

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