Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock lambasted referee Mick Fletcher for failing to award what he saw as two cast-iron penalties during Town's 3-0 victory over the Blades. He also felt the Blues' spotkick, given for a foul on Shefki Kuqi, wasn't a penalty.

Warnock, not a manager to keep his opinions to himself, said after the game: "I thought we should have had two penalties before they scored.

"The Tonge incident was a sheer trip and when Lester came down, the referee said he saw no contact.

"You can usually speak to a referee half an hour after the match is over when tempers have cooled, but he said he did not want to see me or anyone else from the club today.

"He told me to put my views in my report. I expect he'll average 50% - if Joe Royle gives him 100%.

Regarding the Town penalty where Sheffield Wednesday loanee Shefki Kuqi was hauled back by Chris Morgan, Warnock said: "Morgan got a touch on the ball and the referee wasn't going to give the penalty until his linesman flagged from 45 yards away and 25,000 fans appealed."

Blues' boss Joe Royle felt his side was well-worth their three points: "Sheffield United are hard to play against, but we deserved out victory.

"In the first half it was negative because neither side wanted to give too much away.

"We have played better football and passed the ball more fluently, but in view of the calibre of the opposition this must rate as our best performance of the season.

"We scored three goals without our leading scorer Pablo Couñago and kept a clean sheet. Couñago could be fit for our visit to Cardiff next week.

"Sheffield have players who create things round the box and you must give them credit for that."

Royle had particular praise for loanee Chris Bart-Williams who once again impressed in the centre of midfield: "He is our only midfield player who can do the patrolling job and I made him our man of the match."

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