Neil Warnock says Middlesbrough will appeal 'scandalous' Paddy McNair red card against Huddersfield Town

Boro hung on to claim a 2-1 win at the Riverside despite falling behind to Isaac Mbenza’s free-kick after just nine minutes.

An excellent strike from Duncan Watmore and an Ashley Fletcher penalty put the Teessiders ahead before half-time, yet McNair’s sending off nine minutes from the end resulted in a nervy finale.

The Boro defender appeared to win the ball from Juninho Bacuna but was shown a straight red card.

Huddersfield almost equalised when substitute Kieran Phillips hit the post, yet Boro hung on to end a five-match winless run.

“It’s nights like that when I’m proud to be the manager when they put their bodies on the line,” said Warnock after the match.

"We got caught the first ten minutes but should have been out of sight by half-time really.

"We never make it easy and I thought in the second half until the sending off we were well in control.

"When I look at the sending off, I said to the referee after, ‘you didn’t give it did you, the linesman gave it’. He’s 30 yards away and hasn’t got an angle. How can he give it?

“It’s scandalous really, I don’t understand. If the ref had given it then fair enough but the linesman can’t be giving it.”

The result moved Boro to within three points of the play-off places, ahead of the weekend’s trip to Reading, although sixth-place Bournemouth have a game in hand on the Teessiders.

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