Carlos Carvalhal 'too frustrated' to face press after Sheffield Wednesday's draw with MK Dons
Wednesday 20 April 2016 08:21, UK
Carlos Carvalhal was "too frustrated" to face the media after Ross Wallace's red card in Sheffield Wednesday's fiery goalless draw at home to Milton Keynes Dons on Tuesday night.
The Sky Bet Championship game shot to life in the 83rd minute as Wallace was sent off by referee Darren Handley for an off-the-ball incident with Jonny Williams. This came after Fernando Forestieri was booked for an alleged dive on the edge of the Dons box.
Before this, Wednesday had hit the frame of the goal three times. On the stroke of half-time, Daniel Pudil's cross-cum-shot rebounded off the far post. Substitute Atdhe Nuhiu then headed against the woodwork from a Forestieri free-kick and Pudil was unlucky as his stabbed 70th-minute effort looped onto the bar.
Late on, Wednesday's penalty claims were dismissed by the referee as Forestieri went down in the box.
Coach Lee Bullen, who was standing in for the absent Carvalhal, said: "It's been a very frustrating evening. The first-half performance was tough, you have to give credit to Karl Robinson's team, they were fighting for their lives. We couldn't find any rhythm in the game.
"The second-half performance was full of energy, full of drive. We did everything but put the ball in the net.
"Carlos is a little bit frustrated at the moment, it's been a very emotional night. Some of the decisions went against us.
"What does Fernando (Forestieri) have to do, just stand there and get kicked? It wasn't a yellow card. He's paying for a reputation. It's getting frustrating because he's an honest lad.
"It was a late change in referee, it's a stage of the season where we need as strong a ref as possible. It's a tough one to be thrown into at this stage."
MK Dons manager Karl Robinson said: "It was brilliant, I absolutely loved it. I love football, there's too many games where the passion's been drawn out. You come to Sheffield and you're in for a fight.
"I thought first half we were the best team by a long way. I thought we looked like a team who knew how to play football in the right way. We stopped one of the best strike forces in the league.
"We're in a different hemisphere to Sheffield Wednesday. One of their players is worth more than my team's wages. In the second half, we got battered. We literally had to hang on.
"The Forestieri situation is disgusting. What a player he is. I applauded something he did in the first half by mistake. Getting booked for that was the second worst decision in the game. The worst one? The tackle by Pudil on Murphy. He needs to be banned from football. That's the worst tackle I've seen. He was out of control.
"There's ways of going down. We were told we'd be down by Christmas. My chairman, my players and my staff have been incredible."
