Warnock fumes at 'TV intrusion'

Warnock was unhappy at the way the referee was spoken to at half-time

Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock has hit out at media intrusion after an alleged half-time incident in the Boxing Day defeat by Manchester City.

It is believed referee Mark Clattenburg was shown or told about a Rob Kozluk handball he missed, which could have led to a City penalty and a dismissal.

"I'm disappointed with the TV people because they called the referee about the Kozluk incident," said Warnock.

"That shouldn't have been allowed to happen in the tunnel."

Interview: Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock

You just hope that when decisions like that are missed, they even themselves out or they don't have a bearing on the result Man City boss Stuart Pearce

Replays showed Kozluk swatting a first-half Micah Richards header off the line with his left hand, which the referee failed to spot.

Warnock claimed that, having seen the replay, Clattenburg told Kozluk he had been "lucky to get away with it".

"I thought it was totally out of order," he added.

"Unfortunately, the TV people forgot to mention a penalty we should also have had. I don't think a referee should be mentally tried with statements like that at half-time.

"It has put pressure on him."

City manager Stuart Pearce resisted the temptation to get drawn into the dispute.

"I was told by the referee at half-time he missed a handball, that one of their boys punched the ball off the line," he said.

"As referees normally do, they give some and don't give others. We leave it with them.

"You just hope that when decisions like that are missed, they even themselves out or they don't have a bearing on the result."