Michael Carrick rages at Premier League referee Graham Scott after giving a controversial penalty in the defeat at Luton on Monday.
The Hatters won 2-1 against fellow Championship playoff rivals Middlesbrough to remain in third place and keep slight automatic promotion hopes alive.
In an entertaining match at Kenilworth Road the visitors were in control early on as Cameron Archer scored a cool opener to put Michael Carrick’s side ahead.
After the break, Luton scored through Tom Lockyer’s header, then Carlton Morris scored from the penalty spot after Boro keeper Zack Steffen appeared to have made minimal contact while his opponent tried to go around him.
The spot-kick should not have been awarded by referee Graham Scott, according to Carrick, as he hit out at the decision after the final whistle.
“Penalty or no penalty? 😬 pic.twitter.com/qveC95pA0F
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 24, 2023
Luton’s victory, the first time they’ve won five consecutive home matches since December 2018, keeps their slim chances of overtaking Sheffield United alive at least for another 48 hours.
But, in reality, the Hatters will prepared for the playoffs knowing that if Sheffield United beat West Brom on Wednesday, it will see the Blades join Burnley in the Premier League.
Boro are likely to finish fourth, and the two teams could meet in the Championship playoff final at Wembley with the date set for the 29th of May.
Carrick said, as per Sky Sports: “You don’t need me to tell you it’s not a penalty. Not even close in our eyes. I’m bitterly disappointed with that, but I’m hugely proud of the players. I thought we were fantastic. But the penalty turns the game and puts them in their favour.
“I do wonder sometimes with referees coming down from the Premier League who are used to VAR, then they have to come down and make a big decision like that. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really affect our season luckily, but it’s more moving forward to the play-offs or whatever, and then they haven’t got the VAR and they have to make that decision on their own. It’s whether they’re used to it or not.
“I’m not accusing anyone of anything. But it’s something to look at because it’s a massive difference to have VAR or not.”
🔴 Middlesbrough Head Coach Michael Carrick spoke to @MarkosDiSantos following the 2-1 defeat to Luton Town.
He had a strong opinion on the penalty decision tonight…#Boro | #UTB | #BBCFootball
— BBC Sport Tees (@BBCTeesSport) April 24, 2023
“Credit to the lads, I thought the response was really good,” said Luton boss Rob Edwards. “Middlesbrough showed how good they are, the job that he’s done Michael with his staff, they’ve done a really good job and that’s obvious, everyone knows that, everyone’s seen that.
“When you go up against them, you can see the quality that they have, they overload you, they’ve got threats in behind, and they can build slow as well.
“Tonight was always going to be a really tough game and also a mindset thing as well, both teams knew they were in the play-offs, but I’m pleased with the response. We showed some good things, but I do think we could be better.”
Edwards added: “Psychologically the games are quite difficult, the next couple of games as well. We’ve got to try and keep that momentum. We want to keep trying to win, but when tthose play-off games come, there will be I’m sure another per cent or two.
“It’s really difficult, subconsciously, no matter what you talk about and how we try and drive it, there is an element of ‘Ok, but we know what’s coming in a few weeks’ time’.
“But look, I can sit here and say we could have done this better or we could have done that better, but we’ve won the game – and I think that’s probably a good place to be in.”
Questioned whether there had been contact from Steffen afterwards, Morris said, as per Luton Today: “Absolutely, my first touch has to be better if I’m honest with myself, I expect high standards from myself especially in that sort of situation.
“Clicks has played me through, my touch is a bit heavy, but that leaves the keeper to commit.
“I got there first and felt some contact from his knee on my leg, then momentum just took me down.
“I won’t go into too much detail with my plan, but my plan was to get a heavy touch to try and make him make a decision, but I just got a bit too carried away with it.
“There was contact, how much there was is neither here nor there.
“I felt contact and when you’re moving at those sort of speeds, it doesn’t take much to put you off your stride pattern.”
Asked if he had already been going over before Steffen reached him, Morris simply continued: “Not really, no.”
Rob Edwards said: “There’s some contact there on Carlton.
“I’ve watched it back a few times, you need a certain angle, but there is contact so he’s gone down.
“If I was in their position, you look at certain angles, then of course you’d be disappointed, but from the angle I’ve seen, there’s contact, he’s gone down, penalty.”
This is what fans had to say as Michael Carrick rages at the Premier League referee after a controversial penalty in the defeat at Luton…
@TeaCider24: Should be a retrospective ban.
@boro_alex2: Is that even a debate?
@J8mes_btr: Dive. And a pretty clear dive. Contact doesn’t automatically mean foul.
@BillyGr67435254: as a boro fan ill take it on the chin, struggled against our b squad and had to dive to win
@LeoMerritt_: Referees are so so bad in this league relative to the quality of football and the size of the support
@francescas_dad: Get your pundits and commentators to call it for what it is. Blatant cheating. Enabling players to continue cheating by not calling it out continues to ruin the game.
@artlowy8: If inept referees keep giving penalties for blatant cheating then players will just keep on cheating until someone has the balls to do something about it
@TheoWatsonTDC: Referees get it wrong again, shocked
@SkyBlueFeta: No way was it a penalty the Keeper pulled his hands out the way had they of been at full stretch then yes penalty, but he made sure he pulled them out of the way!
@ltfckieren: Sky Sports want to talk about us now, don’t they? Especially when they are against their media darlings ‘Boro. Diallo dived against us, nothing. Akpom dived against us, nothing. Bradshaw offside goal (ON SKY), nothing. Get over it.
@Oveews: Just in case @FA_PGMOL and @EFL somehow missed this…
@new2thisgame22: Why don’t the Sky commentators just call them out as cheats and stop allowing this to happen. Call it out and it would cut this shit down
@chris_n_10: Is that a serious question? Does anyone remember when the authorities banned players for diving? As ever that lasted ages didn’t it 🙄
@davinamarieb: It has to be a retrospective ban for diving surely?
@Will_CH12: Thats one of the worst ever dives I have seen. 😂😂😂😂😂
@pearce1981: Cheating simple as that 💯% Dive
@KyleGlew1: We can’t moan as fans because every pro footballer does it. It’s wrong and cheating but sadly we allowed cheating to become part of the game
@chattaway_harry: Should be banned for diving but he won’t because his name’s not Matty Godden
@RobJonesPUSB: So @EFL you decided that Matty Godden dived, might be worth taking a gander at Carlton Morris tonight as you’ve set a precedent and we wouldn’t want viewers to think you are inconsistent in your decisions would we?
— daniel kidd (@Daniel_kidd7) April 24, 2023
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