Skipper blasts ref over disallowed goal (From The Bolton News)

Skipper blasts ref over disallowed goal

6:00am Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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KEVIN Davies has criticised Mark Clattenburg for costing Wanderers two points against Fulham — claiming the referee has personal issues with him.

After seeing a last-minute header ruled out against Fulham on Saturday, the furious Whites skipper slammed the Tyne and Wear official for costing his side a crucial victory in their fight against relegation.

Clattenburg — once suspended for eight months by the Premier League for a breach of contract — ruled out what would have been a winning goal on Davies’s 500th league appearance, for a push on Fulham defender Brede Hangeland. Wanderers claimed only a point, ending the weekend just one place and one point above the bottom three.

Davies admitted after the game that he had feared the worst after finding out that the 34-year-old whistle blower would take charge at the Reebok.

“When I saw who was the referee I didn’t expect to get anything off him,” said the Whites skipper, who has been booked in four of his last five games officiated by Clattenburg.

“I’ve had numerous bookings from him over the years. I don’t know — I have always felt there is something personal there. Every time he referees us, I don’t expect to get anything. At least I didn’t get a booking. That was the only good thing about it.”

Wanderers boss Owen Coyle was equally baffled that his skipper’s goal had not stood although his opposite number Roy Hodgson wryly backed the referee’s view, congratulating the “strength of his decision.”

Davies, who also claimed he should have had a first-half penalty after a foul by Hangeland, was left feeling short-changed by the decision to disallow his late header.

“It was a clear goal for me,” he said. “Having watched it again, the referee said I put two hands in his back. But I can’t see it.

“I think he (Hangeland) got under the ball and I just out-jumped him.

“You could tell by his reaction — he hit the floor and he knew it was a fair goal.”

The incident cast a shadow on Davies’s landmark, just over 14 years after making his debut, aged 16, for Chesterfield.

“It would have been nice to get the winning goal on my 500th appearance,” said the striker. “I feel a bit gutted about being robbed.

“My debut game was for Chesterfield. I think I was 16. I had a goal disallowed in that one as well.

“I hit the crossbar and it bounced down over the line but the referee didn’t give it. Some things never change.”

Coyle now faces a number of injury worries ahead of tomorrow night’s match at Manchester City.

Gary Cahill is a doubt with a shoulder problem that kept him out of the draw against Fulham, and there are also question marks over the fitness of Gretar Steinsson (illness), Andy O’Brien (thigh) and Fabrice Muamba (ankle).

The Wanderers boss is already without Gavin McCann (ankle) and Vladimir Weiss will not be allowed to play against his parent club under Premier League rules governing loan deals.

Ivan Klasnic has made progress after an ankle injury but the trip to Eastlands could come too early for the Croatia international, leaving Coyle without up to six players he has named in his first team over the last six games.

Meanwhile, despite the lack of goals on Saturday, there was some cause for celebration on the terraces as an impressive 22,289 supporters watched the game – making it the club’s most successful ticket offer at the Reebok.

Fans were offered heavily discounted tickets in all areas of the ground, contributing to the biggest gate for this fixture in three years.