Micah Richards angry with penalty call in second leg of Carling Cup
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City's Micah Richards feels that referee Phil Dowd made the wrong call at Anfield in awarding Liverpool their Carling Cup semi-final penalty.
The City full-back was adjudged to have handled Daniel Agger's shot, allowing Steven Gerrard to equalise from the spot following Nigel De Jong's opener.
City regained the lead through Edin Dzeko but Craig Bellamy's strike meant the Reds went through 3-2 on aggregate.
"I think the ref made a poor decision for the penalty," said Richards.
"It struck my foot and has gone on to my hand. I don't know what he expects me to do with that," he told City's club website.
"But it was a decision. I won't say it has cost us, but it has clearly played a massive part."
The Premier League leaders were also on the receiving end of a Gerrard penalty in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium again involving Agger, who was brought down by Stefan Savic.
And the 23-year-old 12-times capped England international knows just how important those two decisions were in depriving the Blues of a place in the Carling Cup final at Wembley against Cardiff City on 26 February.
"Everyone goes on about respecting referees," said Richards. "But it is decisions like that that are sometimes costing us.
"I give my full support to the referees but, with those sort of decisions, unless you are 100% sure, you shouldn't really be giving them."
