Gary Bowyer labels referee ‘appalling’ following Blackpool’s defeat to Doncaster

Posted Saturday, March 31, 2018 by PA

Blackpool boss Gary Bowyer criticised referee Ollie Yates for his decision to award the free-kick which led to Tommy Rowe firing Doncaster to a 2-1 triumph at Bloomfield Road.

Rovers claimed their first away win since December thanks to a Rowe brace, but the midfielder’s second, which came as he lashed in following a clever free-kick routine, left Bowyer bristling.

The Blackpool manager took umbrage with the award of the set-piece, awarded after Curtis Tilt was adjudged to have felled John Marquis on the edge of the box, with referee Yates also booking the Seasiders man.

“To get done like we have done is a sucker-punch,” Bowyer said. “I have watched it back seven or eight times and I can’t see if it’s a foul for their free-kick.

“How can he (referee Yates) give it? I thought he was appalling today, the referee. We’ve said that week in, week out.

“We don’t get anything and I’m pretty sick of it, to be honest.

“Once it’s given, it hasn’t gone in with any real venom, so we’re disappointed with how we’ve conceded.

“We conceded two poor goals from our point of view. Fantastic response from us in the second half on the front foot and we scored a fabulous goal.

“We lacked the aggression and the intensity that we play at in the first half. I don’t think either goalkeeper made a save prior to their goal just before half-time.”

The result moved Rovers nine points clear of the League One relegation zone.

Rowe who gave Doncaster the lead just before the end of a scrappy first half, his deflected 20-yard strike looping over Joe Lumley and into the back of the net following a smart team move.

The Seasiders were level after 56 minutes when Jay Spearing’s pinpoint cross-field ball found Colin Daniel, who beat Marko Marosi at his near post from 12 yards.

But Doncaster’s winner arrived on 70 minutes. James Coppinger looked set to take the decisive set-piece, but instead Marquis tapped the ball to Rowe and he fired into the bottom corner.

Rovers boss Darren Ferguson said: “We played the system really well. We were well prepared for their system of playing three at the back because they’ve played that against us before.

“We actually put ourselves under pressure playing out from the back but we deserved to win.

“(Rowe’s second goal was) a set-piece routine. We work on those things.

“All in all, I’m delighted with the performance and result. This is a tough place to come.

“We gave everything and got what we deserved. Monday (game at home to AFC Wimbledon) now becomes huge because (if we won) we would be sitting on 52 points with seven games to go and we would be looking up.”