Sheff Utd boss Paul Heckingbottom sent off for smashing subs board in anger during 3-1 loss at home to Middlesbrough
SEETHING Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom was sent off for furiously smashing the substitutions board.
The Blades boss, 45, saw his side stuffed 3-1 at home to promotion rivals Middlesbrough.
Oli McBurnie gave the home side a fifth-minute lead but Chuba Akpom equalised before a Cameron Archer double in the second half to seal all three points for Michale Carrick’s men.
And it was Archer’s second and Boro’s third that sent Heckingbottom into an angry spin, believing James McAtee was fouled in the build-up.
The manager booted the fourth official’s board in the dugout and then sarcastically clapped referee Andre Marriner as he was shown the red card.
Heckingbottom admitted he deserved to be given his marching order but said: “Marriner waves an advantage and four seconds or whatever later, they have scored.
“If Macca had gone down, then that doesn’t happen and their lad gets booked. You see it time and time again.
“It’s nothing to do with this game, my frustration has been building over the season.
“We are an honest team but in our conversations about McAtee and Sander Berge getting fouled, we get double punishments because we don’t get bookings and we’re not losing free-kicks.
“I’m having conversations with my assistants about whether we should go down. I shouldn’t react that way but it’s not that game.
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“We’re getting punished, I think, for our honesty. As football, we’re rewarding people for going down.
“I hate the way the game is going. I don’t like it. But that’s the situation.”
Sheffield United lost in the play-offs to Nottingham Forest but are well on course to get back into the Premier League this time around.
Despite their first defeat since November – ending a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions – the Bramall Lane outfit are still second in the Championship and seven points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough with a game in hand.