Neil Warnock had it in for the referee and the groundstaff after Norwich City ended Middlesbrough’s unbeaten run in a 1-0 Championship defeat.

Marcus Tavernier’s penalty slip proved costly after he slotted past Tim Krul but the goal was disallowed for a double touch.

Teemu Pukki made no mistake with his spot kick but Warnock was fuming referee Harrington opted not to show Jacob Sorensen a late second yellow card for a body check on Sam Folarin. Warnock headed straight to confront Harrington at the final whistle and was still seething in his post-match interview.

“For him to say to me after the game he didn’t think Sam was going to catch the ball, and the ball was only going to go ten yards maximum when you look at it back, 15 at most, and Sam will be through. Why is he telling me that? Because he knows he is completely wrong,” said Warnock. “They all know he should have got sent off. Why haven’t we got officials that know what they are doing. It is a disgrace.

“He tells me Sam is not going to catch it and you look at the video, one cut of grass, he will have three more cuts of grass before he is in the box. Why is he saying that? Is he telling a lie, or did he actually think that? I will have to write it down and ask. Did he see that? Maybe I should ask the referee chief.

“It will come back ‘no he should have sent him off’. What good is that to me?

“That’s the best I have seen him play. I have had some nightmares with him. That’s as good as I have seen him referee and he got it completely wrong there. We are talking about a lad stopping us taking a quick free-kick near the goalmouth, he was warned with four minutes to go that next time it is a booking.

“Just book him, then he will know not to do it. Honestly the laws of the game, the people running it now, Mike Riley, that was like Mike Riley Part Two watching him.

“He will probably end up running the referees’ association this guy.”

Warnock also reserved a barb for the Boro groundstaff after Tavernier’s slip.

“We have had a few lads slip out there. I might have to give the groundsman a rollicking,” he said. “It was a game of two penalties. I don’t think Marcus (Bettinelli) has had a save to make. They are a really good side, which makes it more disappointing really.”