Chris Davies speaks out after controversial refereeing decision costs Birmingham against Middlesbrough

Chris Davies admitted he may need “a few weeks” before giving a full assessment of referee David Webb’s performance after Birmingham City were held to a controversial 2-2 draw by Middlesbrough.

The biggest talking point came in the closing stages when Adilson Malanda scored from close range to level the match in the 88th minute.

Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle appeared to lose control of Sebastian Berhalter’s free-kick before becoming involved in a challenge with Middlesbrough substitute Kyle Joseph. The Blues players immediately appealed, believing Joseph had knocked the ball away while Beadle still had both hands on it.

Davies said he had not yet seen a slow-motion replay of the incident but acknowledged that the footage would be important in determining exactly what happened.

“If he had two hands on the ball and it’s been missed, it’s scandalous,” Davies said. “That just can’t happen. Well, it can… but it shouldn’t.”

The Birmingham boss was also quick to defend Beadle, pointing out that the goalkeeper has produced a number of important performances for the club this season.

Davies described the manner of the equaliser as “sickening” but encouraged his goalkeeper to move on from the mistake.

Birmingham have also felt frustrated by a number of refereeing decisions during the campaign, and Davies was asked directly for his assessment of Webb’s display.

The Blues boss admitted that his own judgement is naturally influenced by his position at Birmingham, but said he has struggled to recall a match this season where the club felt officials had been particularly favourable towards them.

“I think I need a few weeks to think about this,” Davies said.

He stressed that he understands the difficulty of refereeing and did not want his criticism to be interpreted as disrespect towards officials.

Davies explained that his experience as a coach has given him an appreciation of how difficult it can be to make the correct call in real time, while still maintaining that he has been disappointed with some of the decisions Birmingham have faced.

The draw denied Birmingham a victory and left the club frustrated after they had been ahead before Middlesbrough’s late intervention.