NEIL WARNOCK claims Middlesbrough should have been playing against ten men for the majority of today’s 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City.

Boro slumped to only their second home league defeat of the season as Scott Hogan’s first-half strike settled things, but Warnock was angered by referee Darren England’s refusal to punish Ivan Sanchez for a first-half kick.

Sanchez kicked out at Paddy McNair after he felt he had been fouled, but despite a furious reaction from the Middlesbrough technical area, the Birmingham midfielder went completely unpunished.

Warnock said: “When you come up against a physical team like that, you expect a referee to be able to handle it and he should have sent the lad off.

“We could see it from where we are. He's lashed out at him, Sanchez, and how they can't send him off I don't know.

“There are four of them there. We can see it clearly. Surely one of the four can see it? They can see a foul throw, but they can't see someone lashing out like that? Then, to rub salt into the wound, Sanchez made the goal so it’s a double disappointment.”

Warnock accepts his side underperformed this afternoon, but the Boro boss pointed out that his players’ preparation had been adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak that forced the closure of Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground for ten days.

He said: “For two of three of the lads, that was their first training session yesterday, and we couldn't get on the grass because of a frozen pitch.

“We've had two weeks of hell and there are so many excuses we can give, but that doesn't stop you from competing.

“I'll give them an excuse today, but there are no excuses now. We've got three games a week for the foreseeable future, so hopefully we get back into the swing of things.”