Holloway critical of Howard Webb

Last updated : 20 March 2011 By INOIT

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway accused referee Howard Webb of having "a bit of a stinker" for giving his side a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Tangerines captain Charlie Adam tucked away the 25th-minute spot-kick after Webb deemed Ryan Nelsen's challenge on Gary Taylor-Fletcher a foul. As well as criticising the penalty decision, Holloway felt Taylor-Fletcher should not have been penalised for the challenge on Martin Olsson that earned Blackburn the free-kick that led to their stoppage-time equaliser.

He said: "I thought the referee had a bit of a stinker. Was that a penalty? I don't think so. It was a great move but it bobbled off their defender then my centre-forward fell over. There was contact but he'd already had his shot. I thought it was a corner."

He added: "But it shouldn't be balanced out with more bad decisions at the end, and it was unfortunately. Was that a free-kick on the halfway line that led to that huge boot into our box?

"But I'd rather talk about what we tried to do this week. People were on about it's a big game but we tried to play our football. We didn't get affected, we still passed it. We got ourselves 2-0 up and it could have been four. I'm proud of my team.

"We've worked on getting a little bit more solid at the back. Unfortunately that last one the goalie came out for it but didn't get a decent punch and it got knocked back into an unguarded goal. My centre-half's fuming with him and my centre-forward's absolutely spitting feathers because he thought it was nothing like a free-kick."

Blackpool had the ball in the net four times in the first half, with Luke Varney having two efforts justifiably ruled out for offside, and Blackburn trudged off the pitch at half-time to a chorus of boos.

But Rovers boss Steve Kean used their bright start to the game as inspiration for the second-half fightback.

The Scot, who saw Olsson and Jason Roberts hit the woodwork prior to Junior Hoilett's leveller, said: "It's a massive point.

"I said to the lads at half-time, 'It's very easy for me to say we're 2-0 down, we'll change the shape of the team, change the personnel, but why don't we go out and perform exactly like we did in the first part of the first half?'. Full credit to them, they did that, and after we scored the crowd got behind us and we had a really good go and dug something out of the game."

Source: PA