English Premier League: Ref’s Rooney call was right, says managers

Manchester United draw 2-2 with Cardiff City in high-octane clash.

CARDIFF: David Moyes and Malky Mackay both believe referee Neil Swarbrick was right not to send off Wayne Rooney during Sunday’s high-octane Premier League clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Rooney was shown a yellow card by Swarbrick in the seventh minute of Manchester United’s 2-2 draw, after appearing to aim a kick at the Cardiff midfielder Jordon Mutch.

Cardiff manager Mackay said, “I have looked at it again and some referees might have sent him off. However, I thought overall, Neil Swarbrick had a good game and he handled it well.

“I think we saw two teams who were tough and committed and there were some tasty challenges throughout the whole game. But I thought his handling of the game was excellent.”



United manager Moyes said, “I thought Mutch ran across his path and runs down the line of the ball. I think Wayne’s half in motion and I don’t think it is any more than a booking, that’s for sure.

“Overall, I thought we could have played better. But this is a tough place to come for teams. I would have taken a result however it came. But it wasn’t to be.”

Moyes was a little more surprised with the decision by Swarbrick not to penalise Cardiff’s midfielder Gary Medel for what appeared to be a slap in the face on Marouane Fellaini.

“He must have seen something because he stopped the game for something,” said Moyes. “More important was the fact that we lost our concentration.”

United took the lead through Rooney in the 15th minute and after Fraizer Campbell equalised in the 34th minute, Patrice Evra restored the lead with a header from Rooney’s corner in first-half stoppage time. It looked plain sailing for United after that until Kim Bo-Kyung stooped to convert Peter Wittingham’s 91st minute free kick.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2013.

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