Micky Mellon has hit out at Newcastle United's 'blatant block' in the build-up to Jamaal Lascelles' equaliser against his Tranmere Rovers side.
Newcastle needed their captain to step up after Elliott Nevitt had put the hosts in front at Prenton Park midway through the first half. It was Lascelles, at the second attempt, who made it 1-1 after the Magpies' skipper got on the end of substitute Kieran Trippier's teasing delivery just before half-time in the Carabao Cup second-round tie.
However, Mellon was furious with how Elliot Anderson blocked off Neill Byrne after the corner was taken to prevent the defender getting near Lascelles at the back post. Although Tranmere made twice as many fouls (nine) than Newcastle, and were lucky to still have 11 men on the field after Kane Hemmings' late challenge on Karl Darlow, Mellon was far from happy with referee Anthony Backhouse at full-time.
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"It's a blatant block," the Tranmere boss said after his side's 2-1 defeat. "Fair play to them. Every credit to them for setting up the block, but anybody in football who knows anything about football sees what was happening, what was unfolding.
"We told the fourth official and we told the linesman we could see it was going to happen. If you see the man from the edge of the box comes across and he blocks Byrne and stops him from being able to mark the guy that spins around the back who gets a free header for the goal.
"He blocks him. He actually runs into him and gets both hands into him and blocks him. Anybody in football understands and sees that. You've got to see the block.
"Fair play to Newcastle. They set up the block, they executed it well, but an experienced football man sees that and says, 'I saw the block.' It's an obstruction, really. It's a stopping of somebody blatantly being able to stay with their man.
"Listen, Newcastle is a great club and has got great players this evening and if you have great players, they find those moments to get themselves back in the game and they were able to do that."
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