Tranmere boss Micky Mellon rages at referee after fiery draw with Carlisle

Tranmere manager Micky Mellon felt his side’s fiery 2-2 draw at home to Carlisle could have descended into “a riot” as he hit out at referee Charles Breakspear, who sent off two of his players.

Rovers had Calum MacDonald sent off in the 40th minute and Kieron Morris in added time before substitute Tobi Sho-Silva grabbed a last-gasp leveller for Carlisle.

MacDonald’s straight red card, for a late challenge on Kelvin Mellor, sparked a mass brawl, with six yellow cards dished out by Breakspear – including to Mellon and his opposite number Paul Simpson, seemingly for failing to control their players.

“You just hope that somebody upstairs looks at it and something happens because there was a good crowd here today and they deserved better and the players deserved better,” a furious Mellon said.

“I mean both managers are complaining about how poor it was.

“I think something has to be done. I mean that’s as bad….I’ve been a footballer since I’ve been 16 and I just thought ‘this could end up in a riot here’.”

Kane Hemmings put Tranmere in front on the quarter-hour mark, converting Josh Dacres-Cogley’s cross, but following MacDonald’s dismissal, Omari Patrick’s strike brought Carlisle level in the 55th minute.

It looked as though Elliott Nevitt had done enough to earn the hosts victory when he broke away in the 76th minute to slot home, but they then saw Morris sent off for a high boot on Rod McDonald and Sho-Silva equalised in the seventh minute of stoppage time after Jordan Gibson’s long-range shot had come back off a post.

Simpson felt Carlisle were good value for their point and hit out at the treatment his team received on the bench from the home fans.

“I don’t ever remember being involved in a game where it was as fiery and as hostile,” he said.

“I mean the crowd and the stewards on this side – I don’t even know why they’ve got these hi-vis jackets on because they do absolutely nothing.

“Our bench was getting absolute verbal abuse from the supporters around it.”

On his side’s late leveller, he added: “I just think it showed character and desire and ability as well,” he said. “What a wonderful strike from Gibbo to hit that.”