Chris Lakey Glenn Roeder pointed an accusing finger at the match officials after City's lingering hopes of a play-off place were all but blown off course at the weekend.

Chris Lakey

Glenn Roeder pointed an accusing finger at the match officials after City's lingering hopes of a play-off place were all but blown off course at the weekend.

The Canaries boss struggled to hide his feelings after referee Rob Shoebridge, in the space of a few minutes just before half-time, failed to award City a clear-cut penalty against Blackpool - and then allowed play to go on in the build-up to their second goal, despite skipper Mark Fotheringham laying injured with a head injury.

Defeat dropped City a place to 13th, still seven points off a top-six place, but the odds of them chalking up the turnaround of the season now look slim after a match when City got what they deserved - nothing.

Trailing 1-0 it could have been so different had it not been for Mr Shoebridge, an official making his first appearance at Carrow Road in his first season as a Championship official, waving away Darren Huckerby's appeals after he was upended by Shaun Barker.

"That was nailed on," said Roeder. "We are fortunate to have ProZone here and we can look at things immediately, within seconds of an incident, and that was a nailed-on penalty.

"I am not normally one for criticising referees, but I think that just about summed him up today, not just that decision either, not just ones that didn't go our way, but just generally speaking."

Minutes later City players were furious that play was allowed to go on as Fotheringham - expected to be fit for tomorrow's visit to Watford - lay injured with a cut to his head.

"He has got a nasty cut on top of his head," said Roeder. "It obviously would have helped if the referee had stopped the play, but he didn't and again you have to look at that."

City did finally get lucky with a 65th-minute penalty, scored by Jamie Cureton, but the fact that the referee didn't send off Barker as last man for his challenge on Pattison was also a bone of contention.

Roeder said: "By that time he was guessing wasn't he? He decided to play the guessing game. Some you get right some you get wrong."