Steve Evans criticises referee after win at Birmingham

Leeds manager Steve Evans criticised referee Chris Kavanagh after his side's 2-1 Sky Bet Championship win against Birmingham at St Andrew's.

Evans was unhappy with Kavanagh's dismissal of Alex Mowatt in the closing seconds of the game for a challenge on Ryan Shotton and also with a number of other decisions that he made.

Evans saw Leeds power into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals at the start of each half from Stuart Dallas before Clayton Donaldson reduced the arrears in the 53rd minute.

The Leeds manager said: "We had to endure a referee's performance that can't be acceptable really.

"He gives a red card that is never a red and he gives a free-kick from which they score from the rebound which was never a free-kick.

"The referee is an honest guy and he is usually a good performer.

"This was an official who is normally very good having a poor night. I think we saw that when a Birmingham player put the ball out for a goal kick and he gave a corner. He apologised to some of my staff at half-time but that can't be right.

"We will appeal 100 per cent the sending-off. He slid in with his feet on the floor and it is a yellow card at best. The referee, for both teams, looked like he had lost control a little bit. He is an honest guy and I will ask him to look at it (the sending-off).

"But I would prefer to concentrate more on our performance which was very, very good.

"All the offensive players in the first half caused problems. The disappointing thing was that it was only 1-0 at half-time and not more."

Leeds deservedly broke the deadlock when Dallas picked up a pass from Mirco Antenucci and beat Adam Legzdins with a low long-range drive in the 11th minute.

He doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half with a spectacular volley from 20 yards when he flicked the ball forward with his left foot before letting fly with his right.

Donaldson gave Birmingham hope when he forced the ball home from six yards after Marco Silvestri had palmed out a free-kick from David Cotterill but City could not make a sustained spell of late pressure pay off.

Manager Gary Rowett was unhappy with his side's first half display and questioned how they play when the pressure is on as there had been a slim chance for Birmingham to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Rowett, who was also unhappy with the performance of the match officials, said: "There was a little chance (of the play-offs) but the main emphasis was for us to win games - particularly this one as it was our game in hand.

"The first half was poor and as disjointed on the ball as we have looked all season.

"In the second half we livened up and we started to play the way I know we can and we dominated the whole half.

"We scored a good goal and scored another good goal through Clayton Donaldson which was a yard onside. That is incredibly frustrating. The goal would have changed the game completely.

"I don't like to blame the officials but I am sure both managers would have been a tad frustrated.

"But the biggest frustration is that when we look like we have a chance to do something we lack a bit of mental toughness.

"There was maybe a lack of moral courage at times in the first half.

"We looked like we didn't want to take responsibility and that was my biggest issue.

"I end up getting frustrated as I know they can do more.

"In the really big games we seem to struggle with that bit of pressure and we have to find a solution to that as want to get in the Premier League. We know how hard it is.

"When we are at it we are a match for everyone. If we drop away by five or 10 per cent we are just okay."