Did Everton's Steven Pienaar deserve his red card?

Referee Jon Moss decided that Pienaar had played overstayed his welcome in Sunday’s game at Loftus Road after 61 minutes of play, when Jose Bosingwa tumbled to the ground in a tangle with the South African who appeared to have made little if any contact with the QPR player.

His second booking of the game saw the former Tottenham Hotspur man dismissed, after being carded only ten minutes prior for an lunge on Esteban Granero.

His manager David Moyes voiced his disappointment in the referee’s decision to send Pienaar off after his free kick in first half had seen Everton equalize through what was recorded as an own goal conceded by QPR goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

“I thought it was a rubbish decision by the referee,” Moyes complained,

“He had a poor game all day and had a poor game when he refereed us against West Brom as well.”

Due to the seemingly innocuous nature of the second bookable offense, many fans may be left wondering whether the referee had simply forgotten that he had already booked the 30-year-old. Moyes continued,

“The referee must have known he was on a yellow card. It ruined our opportunity to go and win three points but the players did well to hang on to get something out of the game.”

Moyes had seen his team go behind to the Hoops after just 2 minutes played as the home side’s David Hoillett struck low to beat a somewhat bemused Tim Howard.

But the manager felt Moss’ decision cost them the win they had been looking for after the break.

“I think sending a player off under the circumstances is a ludicrous decision, I really do.”

QPR boss Mark Hughes then took his turn to criticize the referee for what he perceived as decisions wrongly given against his side, believing his QPR should have won a penalty.

“We had a stonewall penalty that was ruled out,” claimed Hughes, “When the referee sees it he will wonder why he hasn't given it. That hurt us.”

Whilst both managers might feel aggrieved, Jon Moss is more likely to chalk it up to a bad day at the office. Steven Pienaar, however, will likely feel most hard done by but, as the cliché goes, referees only get to see it once – in real time.

Replays however show the player had very little to do with his ‘foul’ on Bosingwa who, more than anything else, appeared to trip over himself. Pienaar and Everton paid the price for the slip. Both Bosingwa’s and Jon Moss’.