Tom Cleverley accused Norwich City players of the ‘dark arts’ in a 1-0 Championship defeat for his 10-player Watford.

Josh Sargent’s first half strike sealed the points at Vicarage Road in a tetchy affair that saw Vakoun Bayo red-carded for lashing out at Emi Marcondes.

The Hornets were adamant they should have had a first half penalty, when Angus Gunn dived at the feet of Giorgi Chakvetadze, but referee Smith awarded a goal kick.

Cleverley pulled no punches in his post-match media, claiming Gunn feigned injury when he stayed down after his collision with the Watford attacker.

The under-pressure Watford boss also insisted they would successfully overturn Bayo’s red card on appeal, and singled out Marcondes play-acting ‘antics’ along with his City team mates.

“Unfortunately, the referee has been played. I thought Norwich were good at the dark arts today,” he said. “Every time someone made contact with one of their players, they threw themselves to the ground, and we just didn’t have an experienced enough referee to understand that.

 

“So I’m disappointed from that perspective. One, in in how some of their players are throwing themselves to the ground. And two, that we just thought we didn’t have a referee who understood the game well enough.

“Listen I can’t justify Bayo’s reaction. He knows that he’s let his team mates down. He’s pushed Marcondes with the palm of his hand in his chest, and it’s a disappointing reaction from Marcondes. I think if you counted the amount of times he threw himself to the floor today, you’d have a decent tally.

“The referee said to me at half time, ‘He’s elbowed him in the throat’, and we’ve looked at the footage back and he’s palmed him in the chest. If you’re going to make a big, significant decision like that you have to be sure. He’s seen something that hasn’t happened, and for a referee, that is disappointing.

“If you see the angle of the incident that I’ve seen it will be overturned.

“Obviously we have to wait for the period of time now to pass (before speaking to the officials). I will speak to him calmly and respectfully and probably give him a bit of advice on how he can get better.

“You have to know your players before you officiate a game. Marcondes is a kind of player who will do those sort of things, and it’s disappointing, but I’m living and learning in my (coaching) career and I’m sure he will do the same.

“They are a team who do that very well, every time there is a contact they throw themselves to the ground. I’m not saying that’s wrong. They’ve had great success doing it today. So that I’m not saying that’s wrong. But the referees have got to start understanding that. And it was really poor that he’s been sold today.

“(What about the Gunn penalty incident?) For me, that one’s a 50:50 and you know, I’m always honest. I am absolutely fuming with the red card, but the penalty is a 50:50 for me. He’s come out in a very high velocity way. It’s really close.

“Who makes the first contact? I think Gunn’s reaction, pretending he’s hurt, tells you all you need to know.”