Mike Dean reacts to controversial Georginio Rutter incident in Leeds United clash v Southampton

Mike Dean thinks Matt Donohue was right not to award Leeds United a penalty in the first half of their showdown with Southampton.

Daniel Farke's side missed out on automatic promotion as they were beaten 2-1 at Elland Road on Saturday (4 May) with Joel Piroe's first-half strike proving to be little more than a consolation strike.

The Whites felt they should have been awarded a spot-kick when Georginio Rutter was brought ground in the final knockings of the first half, but Dean didn't believe that there was enough contact to warrant a foul.

Speaking on Sky Sports News (4 May, 13:18) he said: "Yeah it's spot on.

"It looks like there is contact from one angle but when you see the one that we've just seen there's no contact so it's a good decision from Matt Donohue the referee."

Should Leeds United and Georginio Rutter have had a penalty against Southampton?

Leeds United will feel that Rutter was caught on the foot as he broke into the penalty area and while there was some sort of contact on the striker's foot, it did appear that he may have gone to ground a bit too easily.

The striker was under pressure, but he was running down a bit of a cul-de-sac and instead went to the floor to try and steal a spot-kick. On another day, it may have been given, but the Whites' luck definitely wasn't in on Saturday.

Ultimately, had the penalty been awarded, it wouldn't have made much of a difference to the outcome as Ipswich Town managed to get the job done against Huddersfield Town. Farke's side will have to settle for a place in the playoff places.

Whether or not Leeds can still win promotion remains to be seen but the Whites will need the likes of Rutter to step up their game. The Frenchman hasn't been at his best in recent weeks and with Patrick Bamford's absence, Farke needs a consistent source of goals.

In other Leeds United news, a new stumbling block has emerged in the Whites' transfer push for Joe Rodon

For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.