Henry Winter amazed Scott McTominay was not sent off against Leeds United
Henry Winter echoed the sentiments of most Leeds United fans and players in being unable to understand how Scott McTominay was not sent off on Sunday.
The Manchester United midfielder eventually picked up a booking late on in a game that was littered with strong challenges and fouls in the rain, but managed to escape a second yellow when he went in late on Junior Firpo moments later.
Raphinha was incensed that the visiting player was not shown a red card, and was instead booked himself by Paul Tierney, in a game that saw a total of nine yellow cards but surprisingly no red.
Times football writer Winter responded instantly on his Twitter account, writing: “How is McTominay still on?”
Lucky
While the second foul was not a nailed-on booking it certainly would not have been a surprise to see Tierney produce a card for it.
It was also exactly the kind of challenge, so soon after the first and in a raucous Elland Road atmosphere, that often sees visiting players sent packing by the officials.
It was perhaps particularly surprising considering a late sequence where Firpo put in a legal challenge on Anthony Elanga which drew a reaction from visiting players, where the referee responded by booking both the Whites substitute and Luke Shaw for reacting.
Had he done the same during the earlier incident, the visitors would have been down to 10 men at 3-2, and Leeds would have been boosted in their search for an equaliser.
Fans were likely particularly aggrieved as it was Scotland international McTominay whose first-half collision with Robin Koch saw the German sustain a bloody head wound and eventually be withdrawn, although the contact on that occasion appeared incidental.
Despite a stirring fight back that saw two goals in a minute draw the home side level after the half, slack defending saw Leed sink to a 4-2 defeat.
A miserable first half and a frustrating finish did for the Whites who badly need points.
In the first meeting between the sides at Elland Road in front of the home fans since the club was relegated from the Premier League, the conditions helped produce the kind of blood and thunder affair that harked back to years gone by.
But it was the restraint of the referee in the face of that action that had many bemused during the second half.
In other Leeds United news, Chris Sutton was furious at events during the first-half at Elland Road.