[theo_luddite]

Wendy fan at work says it were definitely a red card.
Well he would, wouldn't he.

I have yet to see an angle or close up shot of the challenge to decide either way, but had that been the other way around I would think it was harsh from what I have seen.  The offside decision is so tight and again no camera angle along the line like a sky game would provide so again those decisions usually go for the attacker.  The fact people are talking about watching it frame by frame and still struggling to tell means the linesman had no chance with one view in real time and under the rules the benefit of doubt always goes to the attacking team.  The foul before the first goal looked like six of one and half a dozen of the other, could have been called either way but the ref was right there and let play continue.

I cannot remember the last time we had the same ref for both games between teams in the same season, strange one that!!

My comment was based on the one camera angle we have that is on the half-way line. The lino was looking (or should have been looking) straight across the pitch and had no excuse for not seeing it was offside in real time. Unless of course - he doesn't understand the Offside Law and somehow that really wouldn't surprise me.