Being a ref isn’t the easiest of professions. He’s the only man on the pitch that all fans are out to get. Throw him into a local derby and he’s got a real job on his hands. Passions run high, the fans are more vocal and the players are charged up. This explosive mixture can often blow up and the Brummie local derby is no exception. not only enjoyed all the play in the first half but had the benefit of most of the decisions including most 50/50 challenges and even over turning his assistant’s calls on a throw in.
All of the fans want to see bone crushing tackles when bitter rivals are in town and the ref seemed to appreciate this. Fortunately we didn’t get the same sort of melees this fixture has thrown up in the past but there was little quarter given. However, Winter wisely chose to have words with the offender rather than brandish a card and this is where he got it right (most of the time). The ref was also quick to spot shoves to either keeper and this is one area that, overall, needs some consistency from the men in black.
The only card shown was a yellow to Damien Johnson but Winter made sure he hadn’t forgotten DJ’s other minor misdemeanours and pointed to various parts of the pitch with missing divots. This was enough to silence the protests.
Apart from his ability to forgive a Dublin elbow to Forssell’s face the ref did a good job to make sure that this year it was the result that was remembered.
Rating: 7/10