Megson stays cool despite Warnock fury over penalty

Neil Warnock's frosty relationship with the Nottingham Forest manager, Gary Megson, continued on Tuesday night after Sheffield United were denied a penalty in the 1-1 draw at the City Ground.

Neil Warnock's frosty relationship with the Nottingham Forest manager, Gary Megson, continued on Tuesday night after Sheffield United were denied a penalty in the 1-1 draw at the City Ground.

Warnock was furious that the referee, Kevin Wright, did not award his team a penalty when Matthieu Louis-Jean appeared to handle a Simon Francis cross in the first half.

The Blades manager also accused the Forest midfielder Paul Evans of biting Chris Morgan during a second-half mêlée with both players getting booked. The two managers did not shake hands at the end of the game and Megson refused to comment on Warnock's accusations.

Forest took the lead less than two minutes after half-time when Kris Commons headed in Louis-Jean's cross, but Alan Quinn fired United level midway through the second half.

Commons' header was the only Forest effort on target in the game while the goalkeeper Paul Gerrard made a number of good saves, and Warnock struggled to understand how his team only came away with a point.

"We've had 17 chances and 12 on target," he said. "The pitch was terrible and we tried to play as much as we could. There's one or two disappointed players in there but if you don't win the game you have to come away with something."

Warnock praised the Forest captain, and former United player, Gareth Taylor who led the line in the first half before dropping back into defence. "I thought Taylor was superb," said Warnock. "He wanted to do it probably because it's Sheffield, but both up front and at the back he was excellent."

The draw moves the Blades to within one point of the play-offs and they face promotion rivals Derby at Bramall Lane tomorrow.

Megson was heartened by his team's display following successive defeats to Coventry and Plymouth, but he admitted it may be too late. "The way we approached the game, the honesty and the effort they showed was exactly what we should be looking for from day one," he said. "There were times we could have been much better technically, and in creating chances, but in terms of effort I don't think you can ask for a great deal more.

"It looked as though it really meant something to them. It does give me hope but it's time that's the problem - there's not a great deal of battles to be fought."

* Luton have secured promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship after Brentford ended Tranmere's hopes of a top-two finish. Michael Turner earned the Bees a 1-0 win over Rovers at Griffin Park on Tuesday to leave the Hatters 13 points in front of Brian Little's side with just four games left.