Thursday night’s UEFA Cup last 16 first leg tie with Sporting Lisbon ended as a 1-1 draw, with Gavin McCann’s second European goal cancelled out by a stunning volley from Simon Vukcevic.
However Bolton should have had a man advantage for the second time in two rounds, when Lisbon keeper Rui Patricio appeared to handle outside the area under pressure from Heidar Helguson, who he then clattered into.
Megson was not impressed with this, as well as the fourth official who tried to stop him giving instructions to the team:
The rules are if you handle outside the box you get sent off. Patricio got both hands on the ball.
As for the fourth official, he is a doughnut. He did not know the rules.
You are allowed to stand up and try to work on behalf of your football club. You don’t have to sit down like a dummy all the time.
He didn’t know the rules, so we got him a copy, but it still didn’t seem to matter.
It would have been better if they knew the rules on the pitch, though, rather than relating to chuffing dug-outs because the lad handled the ball with both hands outside the box.
He shouldn’t have been on the pitch but then I don’t think the game was particularly well officiated.
I don’t normally come out and criticise but I think he fell for one or two things.
- Gary Megson
Megson also spoke about the game:
I thought we dominated the game. They didn’t create many chances, although their goal was an exceptional strike.
The fact we didn’t win was disappointing but the way we performed certainly wasn’t disappointing, especially against a great team.
The Uefa Cup certainly isn’t a distraction from the Premier League but the Premier League is always our main priority.
Although we will be focusing on the second leg against Lisbon, the game against Wigan on 16 March is more important.
- Gary Megson
I went! YAY!