Clattenburg's Failing: Liverpool on Everton's Cloud Nine

For the blue side of Merseyside, today is the day to ask referee Clattenburg to put a date on his retirement, as nothing short of poor misconduct, and poor decision making led to the 1-2 deficit and Everton two men down.

The game was poor to begin: the lay was scrappy, both teams clearly nervous and passing to invisible men on the touchline continued throughout the game.

The scoreline was only broken when Hyypia sliced the ball into his own net, satisfyingly bouncing off the post and past the keeper for the faithful blue supporters.

The game continued to irritate the spectator well after the break, both sides unsure and still scrappy, both in tackling dubiously and dubiously tackling.

Clattenburg was justified in sending off Hibbert for pulling down Gerrard in the area, however, based on the video replay, and the reactions of Gerrard and referee Clattenburg, his intial decision was to give Hibbert a yellow, not red card, and seemed to be influenced by Gerrard's words. Correct decision, given for the wrong reasons, it seems.

No referee should ever allow themselves to be influenced by players on the pitch when making a decision such as this. For any good referee, the last man pulling down an opposing player, during a goal-scoring opportunity, is a straight red card anyway. It is the fact that Clattenburg made the decision based, it seems, on Gerrard's encouragement that should rightly enrage Evertonians and FA officials.

Kuyt converted the penalty, for his first goal of the season, calmly sending it past Howard for the equaliser.

From then on, the game became a refereeing farce: sillier and sillier free-kicks were being given, and Liverpool should have ended the game with ten men, after what can only be described as a frankly reckless, and dangerous challenge by Kuyt which should have resulted in a red card.

When a player leaves the ground, he is no longer in control of the momentum his body has built up, and thus Philip Neville was very lucky to still be able to walk after the incident. Had he made contact, a serious injury was certain.

A penalty claim from Everton midway through the second half was deemed to be nonsense by Clattenburg - the TV replay said otherwise, Lescott was hauled down by Finnan in the penalty area.

Result: no penalty for Everton.

Liverpool, who had by then taken most of the play, saw several chances, including a close range effort by Voronin saved by Howard, appeared to be playing for time. Indeed, both sets of fans were stunned by Gerrard's substitution for Lucas, but neutrals will have felt this was coming: he had not been on form, and looked tired. A rest is necessary to get Gerrard back to the top.

Then it all happened: injury time, a break by Liverpool, several missed chances, and then Lucas shot for goal - Neville saved the ball, and his red card was certain.

Howard dived the right way, felt the ball against his fingers disappear behind him into the back of the net, and Kuyt had all but sealed the Liverpool win.

Then further antics at the Liverpool end: penalty, surely?

Not this time either.

Despite Carragher clearly hauling Lescott to the ground, referee Clattenburg refused to blow up, except to blow for full time.

Everton, enraged, surrounded Clattenburg, but the damage had been done, in a game more memorable for the actions of its officiating body than for the football played in the blue half Merseyside, that day.

Final word: questions will be raised by both Everton and the Referees association as to referee Mark Clattenburg's conduct during the match, and while the red cards were correct as to the nature of the offence, the reasoning behind the first is debatable, and will be debated further.