Both managers were left unhappy with the performance of Premiership referee Anthony Taylor after sending off a player from each side.
In a Yorkshire derby that was often spoiled by a referee who seemed intent on being the centre of attention he baffled players and fans alike with strange decisions all afternoon.
In a game that rarely had a bad tackle all afternoon he awarded 31 free kicks for fouls as the game was never given a chance to get going.
Taylor sent off Leeds midfielder Robert Snodgrass after he had only been on the pitch for less than thirty minutes for two bookable offences, with both incidents looking very innocous.
Leeds boss Simon Grayson said, ‘The referee didn’t help himself throughout the game. Snodgrass’s were two soft yellow cards.
‘On another day he might not have been booked for either to be fair. Ward’s sending off was one of those that could have been a yellow card, but maybe the referee felt he had to even it up with another red.’
Former Leeds midfielder and recently appointed Blades boss Gary Speed was also critical of Taylor`s performance after he sent off his substitute Jamie Ward, when he was shown a straight red for a tackle on Neil Kilkenny, Speed said, “I’ve seen the videos. If Snodgrass doesn’t get sent off, Wardy doesn’t get sent off.
‘Snodgrass’ was a soft one. He got booked for standing in front of a free kick and then for blocking off and I thought it was harsh.
‘And the Wardy one – he couldn’t wait to send him off. It was a recurring theme all day. He was nowhere near the lad, he didn’t touch him.”
One of his strangest decisions of the afternoon was when he looked to have awarded Leeds a penalty for handball inside the area. The ball clearly claim of the arms of Bradley Johnson and what he got wrong from three yards away his assistant managed to dig him out of an hole by flagging for the correct decision.
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