Adi Viveash: Two key refereeing decisions impacted Middlesbrough draw

Middlesbrough interim manager Adi Viveash felt aggrieved by two key refereeing decisions in their 1-1 Championship draw at Oxford.

Luke Harris gave the U’s a first-half lead before Morgan Whittaker equalised soon after the break.

Referee Ben Toner waved away appeals for a penalty when Alan Browne went down and also only booked Harris for a high challenge on Tommy Conway that some officials might have deemed worthy of a red card.

Viveash said: “We feel aggrieved that we’re on the wrong end again of three or four key decisions in the game – certainly the first one in the game – how that’s not been given, I don’t know. When I watched it back, it looks even more stonewall.

“And although there’s no malice in the boy Luke Harris when he’s challenging Tommy Conway, he doesn’t get the ball and he’s quite high and for me that is a red.

“I don’t like to see players getting sent off but this was a key moment in the game and was not to do with the pitch being greasy.

“At that moment we were really aggressive with the ball.

“We got into lots of wide areas but our quality wasn’t quite good enough in the final third.

“Their goal was a bit of a sucker punch, which we’ve obviously made the players aware of – it’s a good goal from their point of view, a very clean finish from the edge of the box.

“We had 19 shots and only three on target which is not the ratio you need if you’re going to win games at this level.

“But I was pleased with our equalising goal, we had good numbers in the box showing plenty of desire to get in there and I was pleased with that.

“For Morgan Whittaker, that’s three goals now in five games. As wide forwards, you’re going to be judged on your assists and goals and it was a great move and good finish.”

Oxford head coach Gary Rowett was frustrated that his team could not turn another draw at home into all three points.

Rowett said: “We’ve gone toe-to-toe with quite a few very good teams here, Coventry, Leicester, Millwall and now Middlesbrough, who were second in the league coming into today’s game.

“In some ways, I’m really proud of the team again. I’m proud of the players’ efforts and the way they’ve gone about the game.

“In the second half we’ve conceded the goal which is incredibly disappointing, the way they’ve played through us from a throw-in. It was us allowing them to play through us rather than them doing anything amazing to get there.

“That’s really frustrating and has been a hallmark of us – there are moments in games where we need to be better.

“Other than that, we defended incredibly well around the edge of the box.

“After that we made three changes and I thought the changes helped. We really looked like the team in the ascendancy.

“It looked like we had the momentum, were on the front foot and got in some good areas without maybe creating as many chances as we wanted, but I don’t think Jamie’s (Cumming) had too many saves to make either.

“But it’s another game where although we’ve got a point, we’re frustrated not to have won the game.

“Luke Harris did well. In some ways, because he’s such a feisty player, the yellow card early on probably inhibited him a little bit, but he scored a great goal and a great finish.”