Ref Justice

Tuesday night was a pretty lousy one for Mick McCarthy and Wolves after Southampton's last gasp equaliser.

It was also a pretty lousy one for referee Colin Webster.

Having handled a low-key first hour with much comfort and aplomb, the Tyne& Wear official lost his way over the game's dramatic final stages.

First of all came the penalty-that-never-was, as Saints' substitute DavidMcGoldrick fell to the floor while running alongside Kevin Foley.

If there was contact - and McGoldrick actually told Foley there wasn't - then it was outside the box.

Foul? Inside the box? Actually neither.

Then of course followed that all-too-familar example of a referee trying to perhaps right a possible wrong.

Wolves got almost every decision for the following ten minutes, including the one where Southampton's Gregory Vignal was dismissed following an "altercation" with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Vignal's red card has now been rescinded by the FA, apparently the incident was nothing.

It's all too easy to vilify referees, and they do have an incredibly difficult job.

But this was two rank bad decisions which in their own ways could prove pivotal to both club's seasons.

A player making two similar ricks would find themselves dropped. Will Mr Webster?