Death, taxes...and complaining about referees: Matt Scrafton's verdict on Blackpool's draw against Cardiff City

I must start this with the usual clarification: I’m the first to realise how tough a job referees have and I usually find debating their decisions, most of which tend to be highly subjective, to be an entirely tedious endeavour. But sometimes it’s just unavoidable.

I briefly considered undertaking a refereeing course when I was in my late teens, but I thought better of it. The abuse just isn’t worth it.

But this isn’t abuse. Nor is it a tribal, one-eyed view of events. This is simply an evaluation of the referee’s performance which, whether they like it or not, comes with the territory – especially when we’re discussing such a high level.

Human error is only natural. It’s to be expected. But when it’s happening on a regular basis, and seemingly only getting worse, questions have to be asked.

I don’t want to be writing about the man in the middle. I want to be concentrating solely on Neil Critchley’s charges. They deserve that for how well they continue to perform in the Championship.

I’m even getting to the point now where I have to apologise to Critchley before I ask him about the official and his decisions, which is becoming an almost weekly occurrence, because I’m wary that I might be getting him in trouble. But it’s part of the job, because the decisions they make have a major impact on what happens on the football pitch.

Against Cardiff, Blackpool were denied the most blatant penalty you’re likely to see.

That’s not because referee Darren Bond didn’t see it or was in a poor position, because he saw it perfectly.

Yet he somehow contrived to persuade himself Josh Bowler had dived, despite clearly being shoved in the back as he was in full flow surging into the Cardiff box – at some speed too.

Not only were the Seasiders robbed of the chance to retake the lead with just 25 minutes left on the clock, Bowler was then booked for apparent simulation.

“It’s a decision that beggars belief to be honest with you,” Critchley said afterwards.

“I knew at the time it was a penalty. They knew, their staff knew, the players knew.

“Josh does what he does well, he drives into the box, cuts inside his man and it’s actually Ryan Wintle who comes into the back of him and there’s obvious contact.

“He’s about to shoot, so why would he go down in that situation? Why would he fall over? It’s a ridiculous decision.

“If you go 2-1 up with just over 20 minutes to go, goals change games and they have to come forward and it leaves more space. We might win that 3-1.

“But it finishes 1-1 and that’s fine, okay, we’ll take a point. But it’s a critical decision the referee has got wrong and not only that, he books our player for diving. It’s unbelievable.”

I could just about stomach the decision had it been an isolated case, because it’s not like it robbed Blackpool of a point. But unfortunately it wasn’t.

Not satisfied with exasperating both sets of supporters with a frustratingly inconsistent display, he then blew his whistle for full-time when there was 30 seconds still to go of the allotted four minutes added on.

As I’m writing this I’m still not entirely sure what he was thinking, but I can only imagine his error was quickly pointed out to him as he then instructed play to continue.

Inevitably nothing else happened, the flow of the game had been completely killed, and Bond then brought proceedings to a close – and for good, this time – shortly afterwards.

But it was no surprise to hear the eventual final whistle, and this time it was final, was greeted by boos by the home crowd. And I can only imagine those boos were directed at the man in charge, because they seemed fairly happy with their side’s draw.

Concentrating on the important stuff, the actual football, Blackpool might have good reason to feel a little disappointed with this result.

That’s not to say it was a bad one at all, because if you had asked most Pool fans before the game if they would take a point – given Cardiff had won four of their last five – I’m sure a large chunk would have taken one.

But as the game transpired, it soon became clear the Bluebirds were there for the taking.

Blackpool were surprisingly dominant in the first-half, so much so things almost appeared to become a little too easy for them – perhaps allowing complacency to creep in.

Once they edged ahead, which they did thanks to Marvin Ekpiteta’s towering header in the 11th minute, the Seasiders enjoyed a mature, professional level of control of the game.

Had a second arrived, I have no doubt the points would have been making the long and arduous journey back to the Fylde coast.

But it didn’t and inevitably Cardiff were going to enjoy a spell at some point, because they were far too passive in the opening 45 minutes and apparently only too willing to sit back and allow Blackpool to keep having the ball, showing no spark or adventure to get at the visitors and draw level.

Critchley did say in his pre-match press conference Cardiff are a side that opt to play like the away team at home, but this was ridiculous. You can’t play that way when you’re a goal down, surely!

With Steve Morison’s words no doubt stinging in their ears, Cardiff showed more urgency in the first five minutes of the second-half than they did in the entirety of the first.

Unfortunately that’s all it took for them to grab an equaliser, as wing-back Joel Bagan was left unmarked to steer home from Codeh Drameh’s right-wing cross. It was most unlike Blackpool to concede such a soft goal as this.

Momentum inevitably shifted Cardiff’s way for a period of time as the wind – and it was a sizeable one at that – was put in their sails. But Blackpool managed it well and soon got back to playing their usual game again.

Other than the penalty drama, that was all she wrote.

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