By Stephen Eighteen
April 16 2004

It is sometimes too easy to blame a side's misfortune on the one man who is always the scapegoat for millions every week. But for once, we should do it anyway! Rather than look at your own deficiencies as a team, and focus on what in-house improvements you could make to rectify faults within your control, the poor sod in the middle takes all the flak.

This is especially true in the media. Match reports have to be written, column inches need to be filled, and when both teams are happy with their lot, why not bring on a total character-assassination of the referee to spice up the product?

It is cheap, lazy, and 99 per cent of the time, short changes the readers who mainly want to know how their players performed, and what are the prospects of the team achieving more in the next game.

But every now and then, even the best of us just cannot ignore it.

It's cliché time again, and if football is a game of opinions, then Mr Scott Mathieson was totally within his rights to believe that Darren Moore's constant aggression towards his former teammate Danny Dichio was perfectly legal.

No finger should be pointed in the direction of the official, even if he did seem to ignore a couple of penalty shouts and a number of niggly fouls in the favour of the away side, following skipper Sean Gregan's harsh words in his direction as the first half drew to an end with Millwall 1-0 up.

All of these incidents were based on opinion of course, so Mathieson's name would have got only a fleeting mention in this report had the incident in the final minute, with the scoreline level in this vital game, not occurred.

Once again, it started off as an act of objectivity. Deep into injury time, Mathieson adjudged Thomas Gaardsoe to have held Dichio and promptly awarded the ball in Millwall's favour and a sending off against the defender.

But that is where the fact of the matter was completely lost on Mathieson.

It was a fact that the incident not only took place in the area, but was a good nine yards inside.

It was such a fact that Neil Harris prepared to take the spot kick without even thinking twice.

It was such a fact that not a single person who saw the incident during the contest, or afterwards on television, would deny that it was clearly a penalty.

Back to opinions again, and it is a fairly justifiable view that the decision cost the Lions two crucial points that could mean the difference between the £20 million dream of Premiership football and the paucity of Division One next season.

Another opinion is that Mathieson bottled out of giving a penalty. Sure, the man in black seldom has a voice of defence, but what else are you expected to think when such a clear-cut decision goes so unanimously wrong?

Needless to say, the edge of the area free kick was smuggled away by grateful defenders, before seconds later it was all over.

But though the sense of injustice was paramount at the final whistle, there were many positives to take away.

First and foremost, the quality of set pieces were the best they have been under Dennis Wise.

From the first minute, and the recalled player manager was the chief architect in many of the situations, Millwall's free kicks and corners were responsible for a number of heart-stopping moments for West Brom and their goalkeeper Russell Hoult.

Far more than a beat was missed by the visitors when Dichio soared above Hoult to head home Wise's left-wing free kick to open the scoring on nineteen minutes.

It was a goal that meant so much to the big man, after he felt unfairly treated by ex-boss Gary Megson, and ended an eleven-game spell without a goal.

It was also a day when young Marvin Elliott showed just how valued he may one day become.

Sure, Elliott has always demonstrated that he has the required attitude, athleticism and tackling ability for this level, but on Easter Monday the nineteen-year-old cut such a confident figure in the centre of the park that you could not help but notice the improvement.

He wanted the ball as much as possible, and just as importantly, looked capable of doing something with it whenever he was involved.

But West Brom have not reached the brink of promotion for nothing, and even though Albion's impressive Jason Koumas was given his marching orders for a second booking on 43 minutes, Millwall had Andy Marshall to thank for maintaining their advantage at the break.

The second half continued in the same vein, and it was no surprise when the visitors equalised ten minutes in. Danger-man Neil Clement took on Andy Roberts and fed substitute Lloyd Dyer, who struck wickedly across goal to present another sub Scott Dobie with an open-goal that was finished off on the line by Andy Johnson.

The ten men were looking the better side, but the introduction of Peter Sweeney gave the Lions some natural width that looked the most likely avenue to scoring until the penalty that wasn't in stoppage time.

But Millwall should be proud that with a skipper and sorcerer absent, and a star player walking a suspension tightrope, they were a match for a team sure to be in the Premiership next season.

With a favourable decision here and there, who knows, the Lions could well join them.