Jack Taylor believes referees in the Championship ‘need help’, but admitted the division’s pace and excitement is aided by its lack of VAR.

The midfielder’s comments come off the back of Town’s 1-1 home draw with Leicester City on Saturday, where the Blues were not awarded two penalties that the PGMOL has since admitted were incorrect decisions.

Referee John Busby waved away claims for a spot-kick when Anis Mehmeti was tripped early in the second half, and more notably when Cédric Kipré was bundled over by Hamza Choudhury deep into stoppage time.

Having experienced VAR in the Premier League last season, many Town fans have claimed to enjoy matches more without the intervention of the technology since dropping back into the second tier.

Asked for his thoughts, Taylor said: “I’m a bit in the middle. Sometimes the referees need help like the other day, but everyone loves the Championship because it’s so quick and intense and you see bigger tackles. As a supporter, that’s what you want to see.

“On the other hand, when you see a clear and obvious penalty that’s been missed. I think he missed it, I don’t think he intended not to give it, he just needs a bit of assistance in that sense.

“Definitely two points dropped, especially with the way we chased the game. We conceded a sloppy goal in the standards that we’ve set, especially in set plays. We got back into the game really well and we chased it down pretty well in the second half.

“The decisions that went against us weren’t great, but the way we chased it, there was only one team that was going to win it.

“It’s obviously not great when it doesn’t go your way, and I think they were definitely two stonewall penalties. It just reflects the fact that no one’s going to do us any favours with the job that we’ve set out. It’s down to us to brush ourselves down and attack Tuesday night.”

The Blues’ next test sees them make the midweek trip to Stoke City, where they will aim to return to winning ways and claim a first-ever victory at the bet365 Stadium at the 10th attempt.

Mark Robins’s side have only won once in their last 11 matches, but Taylor knows it will be a tough fixture, having been impressed by Stoke on their visit to Suffolk in December.

“They played well when they came to us,” he said. “They built up in the first phase really well and it was a lot of us pressing. They didn’t really hurt us that much in our final third, which was good from us that night.

“They made us run and we matched that really well. Away from home is going to be a different sort of game, and hopefully we can put on a performance and get a result.

“I think we’re in really good shape, and it reflects the other night when we’re going right to the death. We looked quicker and stronger than Leicester in my opinion, that’s with subs and players that are playing 90 minutes. It’s a credit to us, but we know we’ve got to go the extra mile to get the job over the line.

“The other night, we could have come away with another three points, which would have been great for the club and the position we’d have put ourselves into. It’s another thing to build on.

“We can look at it in a negative way that we could have won, but it’s the way we played and the way we attacked the second half that we should take into every game now. Hopefully that will be enough to get us enough points.”

The trip to Staffordshire will mark the sixth match in a run of seven in 22 days, as fourth-placed Town look to close the five-point gap that currently stands between themselves and Middlesbrough inside the top two.

Taylor said: “It’s better than training all week, preparing yourself for a game. I’d rather just brush ourselves down, recover and train well to be ready for Tuesday night.

“Everyone’s coming in with smiles on their faces. We’re travelling a lot together, which we can use in a positive sense to get to know each other a little bit more and bring good energy to the away trips.”

The 27-year-old has only scored once this season, a close-range finish that was scrambled home following a set piece.

So, is it about time we saw one of Taylor’s trademark screamers from distance?

He added: “We are due one, aren’t we? Hopefully we’ll get one or two before the end of the season.”

Photo: TWTD