Middlesbrough boss Steve Agnew said his side fell victim to a poor
penalty decision after they were twice pegged back in a 2-2 draw against
Manchester City.
With Boro leading 1-0 in the 69th minute of the encounter at the
Riverside Stadium, referee Kevin Friend controversially awarded City a
penalty when he felt Leroy Sane was fouled by Marten de Roon, sparking
angry protests from the home side.
Sergio Aguero scored the resulting spot-kick before Callum Chambers
restored Middlesbrough's lead, but Gabriel Jesus headed another
equaliser in the 85th minute to leave Agnew's men six points from
Premier League safety with three games left to play this season.
And a frustrated Agnew told reporters: "I was disappointed that we
didn't see the game out. I thought the lads were terrific and deserved
the three points.
"I didn't think it was a penalty. I thought the player went down very
easily and from the video that I've seen the referee didn't have a
clear view. I think that, when you give them, you've got to be 100 per
cent certain."
He expressed sympathy for De Roon, saying: "He's a top professional
and a very intelligent boy. He knows that when you're in the penalty
area, he's not one for making contact.
"I was really pleased with the reaction from the players and the way they responded for the rest of the game."
Middlesbrough face Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool in their final
three games of the season, and Agnew said the performance against City
would stand his players in good stead as they attempt to pull off an
unlikely escape.
"We're six points behind with three games left, and we've got a good
goal difference," said Agnew. "I think the players will take a lot of
confidence going into Chelsea having played so well against Manchester
City.
"The performance showed the determination and the fighting spirit of
the squad. That was evident against one of the top teams in the
country."
No comments: