Last updated at 12:45, Monday, 14 February 2011

The referee at the centre of Carlisle United’s stormy defeat to Southampton was also involved in one of the most controversial football incidents of the last decade.

Gary Borrowdale

Rob Lewis’s decision to send off Blues left-back Gary Borrowdale was described as “unfair” by manager Greg Abbott after the 1-0 loss at St Mary’s.

And News & Star Sport can reveal that the Somerset official is no stranger to controversial decisions – because he was running the line for the infamous Pedro Mendes ‘goal’ at Manchester United in 2005.

Lewis failed to spot the Tottenham player’s long-distance shot had crossed the line by more than a metre before goalkeeper Roy Carroll scooped it back into play.

It led to a huge debate about the use of video technology in football while Lewis was forced to defend his own involvement in the goal that never was, claiming he would have had to “run faster than Linford Christie” in order to see where the Mendes shot had landed.

The ref’s latest controversial call, which saw Borrowdale dismissed after 41 minutes at St Mary’s, was cited by angry United players and staff as the turning point in a tight game in which they performed well against the odds.

Carlisle conceded the only goal to Rickie Lambert shortly after QPR loanee Borrowdale received a second yellow card for an apparent shirt-pull on Saints’ teenage star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Boss Abbott, whose side will bid to end their four-match losing run at Oldham without the suspended defender tomorrow, said Lewis had got the big call wrong and would “never speak to him again”.

“I thought the first booking was harsh – and the second one was just unfair,” said Abbott, who was sent to the stand for his half-time protests. “I feel like I’m on the school playground, spitting my dummy out, shouting ‘it’s unfair’. But it was.

“Gary is upset because he has come here to play football and we think he gives us a bit of composure.

“We think that with 11 men we would have got something out of the game. It was not a foul, not a sending-off. I am never going to speak to the man [Lewis] again.”

Southampton boss Nigel Adkins took a different view, however, claiming Borrowdale’s challenge was “a definite booking, so he had to go”.

United regrouped impressively for the second half against Adkins’ expensively assembled side and their gutsy 10-man display gave Abbott hope that they can soon get back to winning ways.

The defeat saw United fall two places to 16th, four points above the drop zone and 10 behind the play-off places.

“There were lots of positive things in the performance that we have got to take into the Oldham game and take us forward,” added Abbott, who saw the recalled Tom Taiwo turn in a strong display on his return to the side.

“The team’s heart and determination is not in question and if you have that you will be okay in this division.

First published at 11:46, Monday, 14 February 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk