Alan Knill says Sheffield United game was too big for referee Adam Herczeg

Sheffield United assistant boss Alan Knill questioned whether referee Adam Herczeg has enough experience to officiate in the Sky Bet Championship after his side’s 2-1 defeat at Bramall Lane.

Tyrese Campbell fired the Blades into a first-half lead before Saints hit back after the break through Ross Stewart’s double – his second a 25-yard stunner – to clinch their first league win on the road this season.

Herczeg infuriated the home fans by awarding Saints a controversial first-half penalty and ruling out Sydie Peck’s last-minute header for an alleged foul on visiting goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Knill, whose side slipped to their seventh league defeat of the campaign and remain bottom of the table, was speaking in the absence of head coach Chris Wilder, who was sent off for kicking a ball into the stands in frustration after the half-time whistle.

“I’m the last person that criticises,” Knill said. “But I have to say that when everybody sees something, it’s so blatant, but they (the officials) don’t, then obviously it’s a cause for frustration.

“But it is what it is. I’m going to say as well that this was a big game tonight. I didn’t think that he had the experience to manage this game tonight. I thought it was a bigger game than him.

“So why? Even though it’s not a top-of-the-table game, it’s two really big clubs in this division so I think there could have been better (referees) and he could have had more help maybe.”

The Blades turned in their best performance of the season in their third game under Wilder and Knill, who returned for their third spell in charge just over two weeks ago.

Knill added: “I thought the performance was better than the two performances we’ve had before. So yeah, positive. But obviously, the most important thing in football is points.”

Herczeg, who took charge of Tranmere’s 0-0 home draw against Cambridge in League Two on Saturday, awarded Saints a penalty late in the first half – Adam Armstrong blazed off target – after Stewart had gone down under goalkeeper Michael Cooper’s challenge.

As the Blades pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages, Peck headed home a last-minute corner at the far post but Herczeg had already blown, penalising Tom Cannon for a foul on McCarthy, and ruled it out.

Herczeg was booed off the pitch by the home fans, but Southampton boss Will Still was delighted with his side’s win and said he was unsighted when Peck’s effort was ruled out.

Still said: “I haven’t seen it. Honestly. I asked the fourth (official) what happened, and he just said he’d (Cannon) got his arms around McCarthy.

“So I’m guessing that he must have kind of got hold him, but I don’t know.”

The Saints climbed up to 14th in the table and Still added: “I’m delighted for them, for the players and for the fans because that was a massive win.

“It kind of rewards not just the performance tonight, but what we’ve been doing over the last 10 days, two weeks, where results have been frustrating.”