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Phil Parkinson felt referee Mike Dean made two crucial errors as his Wanderers side slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United.
The Whites slipped to fourth place in League One after two goals from Billy Sharp gave Chris Wilder’s Blades a win that extends their lead at the top to seven points.
Parkinson admitted his side had not been good enough to leave Bramall Lane with a result but felt Sheffield United midfielder John Fleck should have been sent off for a first-half challenge on Tom Thorpe, and that Samir Carruthers dived to earn a penalty out of David Wheater after the break.
“First half we were in the game and a mistake gave them the first goal,” he said of Sharp’s first strike, which came as a result of Mark Beevers’ slip. “Second half they had a second goal which was a definite dive. How Mike Dean hasn’t spotted that I don’t know, it’s a clear one.
“At 2-0 down here with a lot of key players out it was always going to be tough.
“I felt first half when Fleck pole-axed Tom Thorpe in the middle of the pitch, if that is not a sending-off then I don’t know what is. If it’s a Premiership game then it’s a straight red. He practically knocked Tom out and he’s in a bad way.
“Two instances went against us but second half we didn’t show enough quality.”
Gary Madine – who had courted controversy in the build-up to the game with comments about opposing striker Sharp which were passed round on social media – was pulled out of the squad at 1.30pm through illness.
Eggs were thrown at the team bus as it pulled into the car park at the stadium as Blades fans voiced their displeasure.
The club’s official Instagram account had posted a picture of Madine’s shirt hanging in the dressing room at around 1pm but Parkinson appeared to inform the striker he would not be involved out on the pitch half an hour later.
Explaining his decision after the final whistle, the Wanderers boss insists the player was simply not fit to play.
“He was ill. Ben Alnwick has had an illness and Gaz obviously picked it up. He travelled down with us, got up this morning and felt under the weather. He had flu symptoms and wasn’t right to play so we sent him back to Bolton.
“It’s a difficult place to come Bramall Lane but you need your strongest team out. They had all their big guns blazing today.
“We were depleted and so we need to come back home on Tuesday and bring some key players back ourselves.”
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The Whites slipped to fourth place in League One after two goals from Billy Sharp gave Chris Wilder’s Blades a win that extends their lead at the top to seven points.
Parkinson admitted his side had not been good enough to leave Bramall Lane with a result but felt Sheffield United midfielder John Fleck should have been sent off for a first-half challenge on Tom Thorpe, and that Samir Carruthers dived to earn a penalty out of David Wheater after the break.
“First half we were in the game and a mistake gave them the first goal,” he said of Sharp’s first strike, which came as a result of Mark Beevers’ slip. “Second half they had a second goal which was a definite dive. How Mike Dean hasn’t spotted that I don’t know, it’s a clear one.
“At 2-0 down here with a lot of key players out it was always going to be tough.
“I felt first half when Fleck pole-axed Tom Thorpe in the middle of the pitch, if that is not a sending-off then I don’t know what is. If it’s a Premiership game then it’s a straight red. He practically knocked Tom out and he’s in a bad way.
“Two instances went against us but second half we didn’t show enough quality.”
Gary Madine – who had courted controversy in the build-up to the game with comments about opposing striker Sharp which were passed round on social media – was pulled out of the squad at 1.30pm through illness.
Eggs were thrown at the team bus as it pulled into the car park at the stadium as Blades fans voiced their displeasure.
The club’s official Instagram account had posted a picture of Madine’s shirt hanging in the dressing room at around 1pm but Parkinson appeared to inform the striker he would not be involved out on the pitch half an hour later.
Explaining his decision after the final whistle, the Wanderers boss insists the player was simply not fit to play.
“He was ill. Ben Alnwick has had an illness and Gaz obviously picked it up. He travelled down with us, got up this morning and felt under the weather. He had flu symptoms and wasn’t right to play so we sent him back to Bolton.
“It’s a difficult place to come Bramall Lane but you need your strongest team out. They had all their big guns blazing today.
“We were depleted and so we need to come back home on Tuesday and bring some key players back ourselves.”
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