"It looked blatant": Warne on two penalty decisions not given against AFC Wimbledon

The goal-less draw between MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon could and probably should have seen two penalties, one for each side. The fact that none were given confused Paul Warne.

The MK Dons head coach was pragmatic afterwards, but was left scratching his head by referee Richard Eley’s decision making at Plough Lane. While he didn’t send off AFC Wimbledon striker Jayden Stockley for appearing to stamp and scrap with Alex Gilbey in the second-half, two first-half penalty appeals went begging too.

The first came when Dons defender Curtis Nelson fell and appeared to handle the ball as he shaped to clear, which the referee appeared nonplussed by, before, on the stroke of half-time, Dan Crowley was thrown to the ground by an AFC Wimbledon defender - just seconds before Eley blew the whistle for the break.

For Warne, both were stonewall penalties, and the fact that neither were given left the head coach perplexed.

“I don’t see how he doesn’t think that’s a foul. I’m not bothered whether he thinks it’s a penalty or not, he just threw him on the floor. It looked a very blatant foul.

“And at the other end, it looked handball to me. But I don’t know what handball is anymore, it looked a bit chesty as well, and I don’t know what he’s supposed to do if he’s falling over. If it was at the other end, I’d have wanted it.

“Because the first one wasn’t given... I felt it was strangely reffed.”