I'm so sorry I don't believe in bashing refs, especially when they've made fewer mistakes than every player on the pitch. I just don't expect refs to get 100% of decisions right and it doesn't matter if those mistakes are big or small, they happen. Wrong side of the foul, not positionally, just visually and an Everton player runs past his line of sight as it happens. Again I'm not saying he hasn't made a mistake, he has, just that his performance wasn't inept.
If you want to bash the ref for anything, it would be that maybe he actually did know it was a red card, but took the decision that the game had reached a high boiling point and a red card could have seen him lose control of the game. I think cowardly would be too strong a phrase, but it would be a weak decision and it wouldn't be the first time I've seen a ref do this kind of thing, a ref on 606 said he has done exactly this. I'm not one for video reffing, I'm not even entirely comfortable with goal line technology, but refs should have to review their own performance and have the power to rectify mistakes when it comes to cards and the FA should allow them. A short prepared statement, after a ref has had a chance to review his game, wouldn't go amiss either. Their is no need for a wall of silence from officials, especially if fans stop expecting them to get 100% of decisions right.
It's not about ref bashing, it's pointing out that he failed in his duty as a 'professional' to protect all players on the pitch, including those in blue, here's a thought, if Dowd seemed it necessary to eventually hand out a yellow card, what was going thru his mind immediatley after the incident to the moment he threw the card up in the air, now if i'm not mistaken are'nt the Ref and the assistants all miked up ?
why did'nt his assistant go to his aid, why did'nt Dowd consult said assistant if indeed his line of sight was impeded, he clearly new something more severe happened rather than a bad tackle, hence the delay in his actions, i go back to the point, what was going thru his mind during the interim ?
to counter your arguement that he thought it was indeed a red card and decided that that action would make matters worse is further evidence of his ineptitude, and again failing to carry out his professional duty,
you can dress it up how you like 'Berry' the fact remains he failed, not only himself but that of his profession,
where i do agree with you is the introduction of technology, for the life of me i will never understand why the Governing bodies are so slow in bringing this about, todays game is alot faster than before,players are more like athletes's than footballers, so as the game changes so must the people who run it,
we have seen how other sports have embraced technology, like rugby union/league cricket & tennis, football should follow suit, not only will it enhance the game itself, decisions such as that of the cowardice and inept Dowd would be irradicated, and therfore with it ineptitude, bad decision making and of course Ref bashing.
YNWA