The individual behind the offending account has been barred from attending club fixtures and events as Wednesday said they stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Moore and would offer him their full support.
The club are working with police over the message that was sent in the aftermath of their League One play-off semi-final first-leg defeat.
A statement said: “Sheffield Wednesday are appalled by a repulsive racist message directed at Darren Moore posted on a social media platform following our game against Peterborough United on Friday evening.
“We distance ourselves absolutely from this kind of abhorrent behaviour and have taken the appropriate steps by issuing an immediate ban on the individual in question from all SWFC fixtures and events.
“Sheffield Wednesday stand shoulder to shoulder with Darren, the football family and wider society in condemning all forms of discrimination.
“The club will offer our full support to Darren and we are working together with the authorities in ensuring this individual faces the full force of the law as a result of such a cowardly and despicable act.”
Moore was appointed Wednesday boss in March 2021 when they were in the Championship but could not prevent their relegation at the end of that season.
His team face Posh in the second leg at Hillsborough on Thursday looking to overturn a 4-0 deficit as they bid to end their two-year stay in the third tier.
Hillsborough needed early goals to set this tie alight and got two in the first 25 minutes courtesy of a Michael Smith penalty and Lee Gregory, although Peterborough had chances through Ephron Mason-Clarke and Kwame Poku to put the tie to bed but Cameron Dawson stood strong to deny them.
Reece James pulled the hosts to within one of Peterborough’s aggregate lead with 20 minutes to go and Hillsborough’s roof came off when Liam Palmer made it four with the last kick of normal time.
Peterborough nudged ahead once again in extra time after Gregory nodded into his own net and Wednesday extraordinarily pulled level through Calum Paterson, resulting in penalties – Wednesday’s sensational comeback was sealed when Jack Hunt converted after Dan Butler hit the crossbar with the only miss of the shootout.
Wednesday’s wish of an early goal came true after Marvin Johnson was brought down by Joe Ward inside the area – Smith sent Will Norris the wrong way to cut the deficit to three just eight minutes in to breathe life into the encounter.
Peterborough had a chance to restore their large advantage 10 minutes later when Poku found himself in space inside the area but rifled an effort straight at Dawson.
Posh were catching Wednesday on the break as they went in search for an early second, and had another chance but Mason-Clarke’s effort from outside the area needed saving by Dawson again.
The Owls halved Peterborough’s aggregate advantage 25 minutes in after Paterson found himself out wide with the ball again, his low cross was turned home by Gregory with goalkeeper Norris in no man’s land.
Peterborough remained a threat on the counter-attack and almost got their much needed goal when Mason-Clarke latched onto a through ball by Jack Taylor but was denied by Dawson for the second time in the half to keep the score at 2-0.
The hosts started the second half in similar fashion to the first and Norris made an outstanding save to palm away Gregory’s goalbound bicycle kick.
Wave after wave of Wednesday attack was coming at the Posh defence, who were seemingly stumbling their way through the tie – this time – Josh Windass’ first time strike was met by Norris to deny another goal.
It seemed only a matter of time before Darren Moore’s side struck again, and they did just that when James found himself one-on-one with Norris and coolly slotted home to set up a nervy last 20 minutes.
The hosts thought they had their fourth but Dominic Iorfa’s free header from inside the area flew straight into the grateful grasp of Norris.
Peterborough looked to have booked their place at Wembley but Wednesday had other ideas as the clock went into the 98th minute, a long ball into the box was met by the head of Aden Flint and Palmer bundled home to send the game into extra time.
The visitors edged ahead in this remarkable play-off meeting when Butler’s free-kick was nodded into his own net by Gregory under pressure from Nathan Thompson.
Wednesday looked down and out again but roared back with another equaliser in the 112th minute when Paterson stabbed home and sent the game to a penalty shootout and Butler’s miss miss proved crucial as Hunt’s winning kick signalled a pitch invasion.
Matt Bloomfield’s side started off the better and nearly took the lead on 21 minutes when Luke Leahy saw his free-kick tipped over the bar by Marko Marosi, before David Wheeler fired wide six minutes later.
For large parts of the contest, Wycombe dominated possession and bossed the ball with Shrewsbury having little to no attacking threat.
Yet it was the visitors who took the lead five minutes before the break.
Perry, who was making his first appearance since returning from injury, picked up the ball from range and smashed a terrific drive beyond Max Stryjek for his third goal of the season.
Wanderers pushed on in the final 15 minutes as Kieran Sadlier, on his first league start for the club, Sam Vokes and Garath McCleary all went close, but Marosi was on hand to deny the chasing Chairboys.
The visitors had the ball in the back of the net just past the 20-minute mark.
Tom Sang drove in a low cross, which was met by Uche Ikpeazu, who side-footed into the bottom corner, but referee Scott Tallis chalked the goal off for a foul in the area.
Eight minutes later, Shrewsbury broke the deadlock after Jordan Shipley stood up a floated cross to the back post and Mata headed it in low and hard to grab his first goal in blue and amber.
Udoh then drove forward from the halfway line just after the break. The forward got into the box and released a powerful strike which went in via the underside of the bar.
Vale pulled one back just before the hour mark from a free-kick from 25 yards. Sang whipped the ball into the middle of the box and Ben Garrity rose highest to head home.
Vale kept searching for the elusive equaliser but to no avail.
Three goals in the opening nine minutes provided an electric start to the contest, with Shrews going 2-0 ahead through Jordan Shipley and Tom Bayliss.
Reading swiftly replied when striker Sam Smith slotted home his eighth goal of the season and they made it 2-2 through Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.
But Tom Bloxham regained the lead for Town just before the break, which they successfully defended throughout a largely uneventful second half.
Town made a lightning start, with Shipley superbly volleying in from a clearly pre-planned Bayliss corner move in the third minute.
Two minutes later, Bayliss cut into the area and beat home goalkeeper David Button at his near post with a crisp shot.
But Reading responded in the ninth minute, with Smith coolly clipping in past Marko Marosi from a precise Harvey Knibbs pass.
Ehibhatiomhan levelled in the 36th minute when his deflected effort looped in over Marosi for his ninth goal of the campaign, but Bloxham struck in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time with an angled 20-yard drive.
Reading dominated most of the second period but, apart from Marosi’s superb save to deny Femi Azeez from close range, Shrewsbury held on reasonably comfortably for a vital victory.
Tom Bayliss sent a free-kick into the danger zone early into proceedings. Morgan Feeney met and headed goalward, but Charlton keeper Harry Isted palmed it away.
Just before the break, Tom Flanagan almost found the top corner after a powerful strike from the edge of the box, but Isted acrobatically got a hand to it to parry away for a corner.
Charlton emerged quickly out of the blocks in the second period as Louie Watson clipped a cross into the box. Lloyd Jones managed to head goalward, but Marko Marosi fantastically tipped it over the bar.
The Addicks had another chance soon after through Watson again, who tested Marosi from range.
Shrewsbury countered quickly with under 20 minutes remaining through Carl Winchester, who unleashed a magnificent strike from his own half after seeing Isted off his line. The right wing-back’s effort looked close to going in, but the Addicks keeper scrambled back and pushed it away for a corner to preserve a point.
The 41-year-old Taylor made over 300 appearances in the Premier League during spells with Portsmouth, Bolton, West Ham and Burnley.
He began his coaching career at junior levels with Luton and Tottenham before a brief stint in charge of Walsall, whom he left early in 2022.
Taylor told Shrewsbury’s official website: “I’m very aware the football club has a successful playing style – something that has worked when you look at the finish last season.
“I hope to allow the players to really express themselves. There are some exceptional footballers here and part of my role is to give them a platform and a structure so they can go and express themselves and entertain our loyal supporters.”
Cotterill guided the League One side to 12th place, their best finish for five seasons, at the end of the last campaign, despite winning only one of their last 10 games.
Victories for Lincoln and Oxford, coupled with a second successive goalless draw for Steve Evans’ side, left Boro three points adrift of the final play-off place.
Charlton’s 17th draw of the campaign extended their unbeaten run to 10 league matches and left them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
A scrappy first half failed to produce a significant effort of note with visiting boss Evans making a triple change at the break to try and spark his side into action.
The first major opportunity fell to Stevenage’s top-scorer Jamie Reid in the 59th minute but the striker headed over the crossbar from close range after a deep cross by Luther James-Wildin was nodded into his path by Vadaine Oliver.
Nick Freeman also sliced across the face of goal for the away side after fellow substitute Oliver teed him up for a strike.
Charlton, with just one win at home since November 28, struggled to forge openings.
Substitute Tyreeq Bakinson flicked Thierry Small’s cross wide from 10 yards out in the 70th minute.
Addicks goalkeeper Harry Isted was called into action twice in the closing stages to keep out headers from Oliver.
Both sides struck in an end-to-end first half.
Wigan spurned a golden opportunity to take the lead in the opening minute when Orient goalkeeper Sol Brynn brought down Sean Clare in the area.
Stephen Humphrys drilled his spot-kick against an upright and the ball rolled to safety.
The hosts then went ahead after 18 minutes with a sublime strike by Shaq Forde.
The on-loan Watford forward collected a pass from Ruel Sotiriou and sent a right-footed effort high into the corner of the net.
But the visitors were back on level terms in the first minute of added time following a set-piece as Jordan Jones passed to Humphrys, whose drive from outside the box nestled in the corner of the goal.
Orient dictated play after the interval, with Forde and Dan Happe going close, but the Wigan defence, superbly marshalled by Charlie Hughes, proved resilient.
The 58-year-old had already said his position at the club was uncertain and the Shrews have now confirmed his departure.
A statement read: “The club would like to place on record their thanks to Steve for all his hard work and commitment during the last two and a half years, taking us from a relegation place in League One to 12th in the table and also for working from his hospital bed during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Cotterill guided the club to 12th in League One last season and spent 49 days at the Bristol Royal Infirmary after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia in 2021.
Cotterill, who joined the club in November 2020, released a statement though the League Managers’ Association.
“I’m proud of the work that has been done by everyone in the past two and a half years at the club,” he said. “From fighting relegation to a top-half finish. I am confident this team will continue its progression next season.
“Working through Covid was tough and I have to thank my incredible staff for their help throughout.
“I would also like to thank the players. It is a fantastic group that gave me absolutely everything, right up to the last game of the season. The relationship I had with them was very special.”
Daniel Butterworth’s fine brace put strugglers Carlisle on course for what would have been their first home win for nearly three months and only a sixth victory of the season.
But Alex McDonald’s 82nd-minute penalty – having been fouled by Dylan McGeouch – and Terence Vancooten’s injury-time equaliser stunned the hosts at Brunton Park.
“Over the 90 minutes, we’re probably the fortunate team to come away with a point,” admitted Evans.
“I didn’t recognise our team for 60 minutes. Carlisle are much better than where they are, so I knew it would be tough.
“But then I think the players realised we might not get anything here and reacted. When we got the penalty I thought we might win it.
“I’ve always said our ethos is built on spirit, what we lack we make up for in desire and fight.
“Even with one arm we fight, so it’s credit to the players as much as I’m disappointed we’ve taken a point.
“But here we are, we’ve got seven games to go and we’re a point outside the play-offs and in amongst giants of clubs.
“And you know what, we deserve to be there with what we’ve contributed all season.
“We’re missing big players at the moment, but getting a point makes the journey more palatable.”
Carlisle manager Paul Simpson could not fathom how his side squandered a healthy two-goal advantage.
“I’m massively disappointed,” said Simpson.
“I thought we showed some good stuff for the majority of the game, but I just don’t think we showed the composure to see the game through in the end.
“We knew what to expect against Stevenage, we knew they were going to load the ball on top of us.
“For the majority of the game we actually dealt with it really well. We defended the box well, cleared our lines and we’ve had opportunities to put the game to bed which we’ve not been able to take.
“If you don’t do it in both 18-yard boxes then you’re going to struggle. That’s been the absolute story of our season.
“I’m hugely disappointed for everybody involved today that we’ve not been able to get a victory.
“But you’ve got to do it [perform] for 95-100 minutes – and they scored their equaliser in the 96th minute, so I’m massively disappointed.
“However, that’s not the first time this season that has happened.”
Thompson saw red in only the 22nd minute for his second yellow card and Reading went on to ease past their 10-man opponents with a brace of goals from 20-year-old striker Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan either side of the interval.
Evans said: “We were down to 10 men and we had a few players on yellow cards and Reading had none for similar challenges. It was a mystery to me.
“I think that’s what refereeing provides, isn’t it – mysteries.
“For the second goal, we get beaten by a ball over the top that we wouldn’t normally concede. From then on it’s hard for us. We needed a little break to try to get back in the game.
“If it had stayed 1-0, we could have had a go and thrown a few men forward and gambled a bit. But when it’s 2-0, it’s a pretty much impossible task.
“In the end though, we can’t blame anyone else for the defeat but ourselves.
“But there was a game-changing decision [the red card], wasn’t there, that he [the referee] gets wrong.
“I’ll go and see him but there’s just been decisions that are baffling.”
Reading secured back-to-back home victories having defeated Cheltenham 1-0 on Tuesday.
Manager Ruben Selles said: “Our opponent was a really good team who we knew had had a perfect start to the season.
“We knew we had to match their physicality in certain situations, especially in the set-plays and the long balls.
“We then had to benefit from that with our own transitions. And we had to use our strengths in the game, I think the boys understood that.
“I think they understood perfectly the roles of everyone and so we were very happy with the performance and the three points.
“It is always important to try to get the first goal before half-time.
“But after the sending-off, we had to analyse how Stevenage would adjust to that. It’s not always easy against 10 players.
“One of the things we are learning as a team is what to do when we are facing those situations.
“When the opponent has one less player, we need to keep the ball and force them into some pressing situations. Like for the second goal, when we got that space.
“After that, it was just about keeping our tempo.
“Of course, it was a challenge for our youngsters – as it was in the last game [versus Cheltenham].
“We need to get used to whatever the opponent may propose and how you can match it.”
Evans believed his side were the better team in the 1-1 draw at the Memorial Stadium, as the Hertfordshire outfit chalked up a first draw on the road in the league this season.
Martin scored a sublime long-range chip from 35 yards out after 83 minutes to cancel out Jamie Reid’s 40th-minute opener.
Evans said: “They [the Bristol Rovers fans] turn up in great numbers and they back their team. They’re honest people here and they’ll know when they go home tonight and watch it back, they’ll know what happened: they’ll know that it’s an offside by five or seven yards, that it’s a handball and they’ll take a point.
“When my team gets outplayed I know that I’ll take a point.
“They tell me not to say it [criticising the referee]. You don’t shut a boy up who tells the truth.
“People will talk about the chances that Kane Hemmings missed or the two chances that Carl Piergianni normally scores. They’ll talk about aspects of football, but the referees are not good enough, and as long as I see it I’ll say it.
“I watched my players get yellows for kicking the ball away in the first half deservedly, I watched their goalkeeper kick it away when we got a corner…”
Evans received one of a host of yellow cards handed out by referee Matthew Donohue in the game but the veteran manager shrugged it off, saying: “That doesn’t bother me. He’ll tell his grand kids. I’ll tell my grand kids that we should have won the game and I’ll show my wee grandson at two-and-a-half the decision and he will say that’s nonsense.”
Rovers manager Joey Barton also had criticism for referee Donohue, as the Pirates’ three-match winning run at home ended.
“Look, it’s a foul,” said Barton, of the challenge on his goalkeeper Matthew Cox in the run-up to Reid scoring.
“We were unfortunate not to win the game. We were pushing, pushing, pushing…If you can’t win them then don’t lose them.
“We felt aggrieved – we felt we should have had a penalty before Chris’ goal. The ball skips up and hits [Luther James-Wildin] on the arm. I just don’t know the decision-making. Some of these decisions are Keystone Cops.
“In the midst of this Evans is going bananas at the referee, which is normal at the end of the game. If they’d have won the game they’d have been very fortunate because they weren’t better than us.
“First half we were a bit nervy. They’re not an easy team to play against. I have to be pleased with the effort,” added Barton.
The visitors ran out convincing winners at Highbury thanks to Jamie Reid’s eighth-minute strike and second-half goals from Ben Thompson and Elliot List.
And the performance delighted Evans, especially in light of their far-from-ideal build-up, which included the team bus breaking down on their drive north on Friday.
Evans, who side remain fourth in the table, said: “I thought it was a really good away performance.
“We played some really good football in the first half. We knew we’d have to work hard, but I must admit, as I’m watching the game, I don’t really remember them creating a clear chance that I thought they’d score from.
“There were wide free-kicks and corners that they sent in, but the one thing they weren’t going to do was outmuscle us and bully us, like they do to other teams. They weren’t going to do that to us.
“Our big boys stood strong and got good blocks in when they needed to.
“All three front boys were touch and go before the game – Jordan Roberts and Jamie Reid have both done a warm-up since last Saturday, that’s all they’ve done, warm up with the team on Thursday.
“And when we travelled north yesterday our team coach broke down, so we’ve had all sorts of issues that meant we couldn’t train properly. We had to use our experience and we spoke to Preston, who organised some indoor facilities, so we were still able to get the players’ legs moving.
“So when you consider those factors and that our front three have hardly been on the training ground, it demonstrates what efforts they’ve given us today.”
Fleetwood’s defeat put an end to a six-game unbeaten run and boss Lee Johnson could not hide his disappointment as they missed a chance to climb out of the bottom four.
Despite hitting the bar twice, Johnson urged his side to impose themselves in the early stages of games.
“It was really disappointing performance,” he said. “I can imagine our supporters are scratching their heads.
“Again we’ve taken that punch on the nose in terms of the goal with the first real entry into our box by the opposition and that’s happened far too many times at this club.
“And I don’t think they deserve that to be honest, so it’s my job to find a way of getting the boys going when the atmosphere isn’t like a Blackpool game, in which it’s easy to think forward, play forward and be aggressive in our tempo in those early stages, because we can’t keep giving teams head starts.
“We were all right in the majority of our play today, in our box-to-box play and we were quite fluid in our possession and moving the ball.
“Phoenix Patterson was excellent for us in his dynamism, we just lacked a bit of quality in the final third. On a number of occasions we got in some great areas and couldn’t pick somebody out or we didn’t have the composure at the levels we’ve had in recent weeks.
“We need to show a lot more pitch personality in the early stages of games and I’ve told the two or three players that very strongly.”
Boro looked set for all three points thanks to Jamie Reid’s first-half strike but were made to settle for a point after Corey Blackett-Taylor converted from the penalty spot in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
It is the second time in a week Stevenage have given up three points at the death following last week’s 2-2 draw with Carlisle, but Evans is confident his side will continue to cause plenty of problems.
“We’ll do alright,” he said. “People wrote us off before the game. If that’s a £10million budget, well we’ll do alright, that’s all and that’s not knocking them.
“They are full of good players. They’ve got a good manager in. I think he’d have been scratching his head at half-time because we should have been three-nil up.
“We should have had the game put to bed. We were frighteningly dominant and then you’re going to get a reaction, aren’t you, from good players, and they got a reaction.
“It was a little bit galling to see every time there’s a free-kick and it’s contested there’s seven Charlton players running around the referee.
“I think they get the penalty from that because I’ve just watched it back and there’s not a chance in a world that’s a penalty.
“They should have had one earlier but we should have had one in the first half, so it equals itself out.”
While it was disappointment for Evans, new Charlton boss Michael Appleton admitted a half-time rollicking was required to produce a better second-half showing from his players and earn him a first point in charge.
“I was disappointed with the way we competed,” he said. “I’d expect us to be much better and stronger, and to be fair to the players they proved in the second half that they are more than capable of doing it.
“It was one of them where I knew there was more to come and I expected more from them, certainly in possession.
“Out of possession you could argue it could be stronger and more physical, but the reality is we’ve come up against a side that are probably one of the best in the division at it.
“But for me, I still like some of our players, whether they’re 5ft 2ins or 6ft 2ins, to make sure they’re competitive, and we didn’t get it in the first half.
“We did in the second half and the performance obviously in both halves was chalk and cheese.”
The first half was not one for the football purest, but the game opened up after the 70th minute with both sides looking for that decisive goal.
Shrewsbury made a great move minutes later with Tom Bayliss playing Max Mata through and the striker spun and got a shot off from inside the area, but goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond was equal to the opportunity.
Stevenage found that decisive goal after 84 minutes, with Jamie Reid fantastically converting from close range.
Evans said: “I like when you come here. I spoke to (Wrexham manager) Phil Parkinson in the week and he said: ‘Fine margins.’ I thought we started the game really well and commanded it for most of it.
“We said to the boys, ‘have some courage and play’ and we didn’t do that last week and ‘have some individual battles all over the pitch in terms of sporting point of view and win them’.
“It was a brilliant away support and they will go home really happy seeing the Stevenage they know is back (in relation to their FA Cup exit to Maidstone).”
On the goal, Evans added: “First and foremost, it is three or four passes before and it’s a pass of the match from Jake Forster-Caskey and that is a Championship-class pass – and that is what Jake has got.
“Jamie Reid’s touch and finish is fantastic and he has done that three or four times this season and goes and scores, but I think we deserved it.”
The late win for Boro means they remain level on points – in seventh – with sixth-placed Barnsley, while the home side dropped down two places to 17th as a result.
Shrewsbury boss Matt Taylor said: “I have made three changes to change a front three and I felt that had a slight impact.
“When we got into that final third, our decision-making wasn’t as good as it had been.
“Ultimately, what should be a 0-0 draw through one laps of concentration, everybody is now extremely deflated when you lose a game of football at home.
“What we have done in the last couple of games is really get after the opposition – and we tried to do that today – but it is decision-making in the final third which has cost us.
“You have got to try and change the flow of the game and that is what we wanted to do and when you have players of quality you can use, then you have to utilise them.
“The defenders have defended for their lives apart from one moment today and that shouldn’t occur and I shouldn’t be standing here now talking about a defeat.”
The stalemate at the Valley extended their winless run to seven matches and left them three points off the play-off places in League One.
Boro’s 17-goal top-scorer Jamie Reid had a glorious chance to end his drought but instead extended it to nine matches as he headed over from close range, while substitute Vadaine Oliver was twice denied by Charlton goalkeeper Harry Isted.
Evans said: “I’m really pleased with the performance.
“We dominated possession for long spells of the first half without really creating. I think it’s a record amount of entries into the penalty box away from home for us.
“Good opportunities and the goalkeeper has made two fantastic saves from big Vadaine Oliver. Jamie Reid has a chance you normally expect him to score. He’s going through that little spell but the only way he is going to get a goal is what he had done today – be prepared to go back in.
“We love the kid, whether he scores them or not. We have come to the Valley, we’ve silenced the crowd and outplayed them all over the pitch.
“I dread to think what the stats are – 80 or 90 per cent possession. It probably won’t be that when they calculate it here but that’s what it felt like.
“Five matches to go, three points in it (to the play-offs). If I was three points in front I would think it was far from finished. So we are far from finished in this race for the play-offs.”
Nathan Jones has overseen a 10-game unbeaten run for the Addicks – only tasting defeat once since succeeding Michael Appleton as boss – but seven of those have been draws.
The south Londoners lacked quality in the final third with Tyreeq Bakinson flicking wide from a Thierry Small delivery their best chance.
Jones said: “Mixed feelings. We come out with a lot of positives – another clean sheet, another point and another game unbeaten. They gave me everything.
“First half we were decent in terms of how we controlled the game and moved the ball but we need to be better, show a bit more quality and bravery. But that will come.
“It’s the first time we have played three strikers, with a 10, because we wanted to be positive at home. It’s a point. I’m not ecstatic in any way but it’s another step in the right direction.
“We had a gameplan and did it for long periods of the game – but not enough.
“We kind of ran out of a few ideas late on. It’s probably a fair result.”
Pompey’s Joe Rafferty and Boro’s Jake Forster-Caskey were shown red cards by referee Simon Mather when a 50-50 challenge turned into a skirmish on the floor during the second half of the League One clash.
Jamie Reid’s header forced an outstanding save from Will Norris early on.
Alex MacDonald’s delivery should have led to the opening goal, but Aaron Pressley’s limp shot from close range went over.
Abu Kamara fired a powerful attempt straight down the throat of Taye Ashby-Hammond before Boro’s Jordan Roberts hit the post from outside the box.
Rafferty and Forster-Caskey were sent off at the start of an eventful second half.
Substitute Elliott List found Roberts in the box with five minutes left to play, but the forward could not find the net.
Referee Mather was forced off the field with an injury and replaced by fourth official Stephen Finch in the closing stages.
However, neither side could find the back of the net as the match finished 0-0.
The hosts had led through Terence Vancooten’s early own goal but hit back to lead 2-1, Jamie Reid levelling and Vancooten making amends with Boro’s second goal.
But with more than the six minutes of added time played, the assistant referee waved for a handball by Dan Butler and Funso Ojo slammed in the resulting penalty, leaving Evans raging.
“In the first half we were appalling, that’s a kind word for it,” he said. “I think there was a lack of respect from some of our playing staff towards the Port Vale players, and they certainly haven’t got that from me because I know a lot of them personally and I’ve seen them play many times, they’ve outplayed us on three occasions this season.
“We changed it at half-time and got back in the game, scored a couple of good goals, missed some sitters to kill the game and I thought the points were ours.
“Then we’re well over the added time and a cross comes in and the assistant referee gives a penalty – on the video there’s not a chance that’s a penalty. It’s no surprise it’s at the home end with home supporters behind him and behind the goal. It’s an absolutely appalling decision.
“You cannot have an assistant referee get involved like that. I think we’ll be getting an apology but I’m sick of them, I don’t want them. They’re fighting to stay in League One but they won’t get any more help than that.
“It’s a disgraceful decision from the assistant referee. If he’s getting those decisions wrong he shouldn’t be officiating in the Football League. I don’t know his name, I don’t want to know his name but there’s nothing we can do.”
Vale, who parted company with manager Andy Crosby at the start of the week, extended their winless run to six games but joint interim boss Will Ryder was delighted with his players’ efforts.
“It’s a valuable point, it was a rollercoaster of emotions today,” he said. “What I was most pleased with was how the players stuck to the plan, they didn’t deviate around what we’ve worked on, the analysis.
“We stuck to what we knew could work for us, and it was really disappointing not to get three points but I’m delighted that we’ve managed to get something out of the game because we deserved it.
“We had a plan with the staff and we’ve worked really hard on our game plan and our strategy and making sure that we’re going to compete and do the horrible side of things, getting pressure on the ball and winning duels.
“I think we were unlucky not to get more goals than we did and I’m delighted for every single one of them that we’ve swung the momentum.”
The visitors equalised twice but Wanderers snatched a second victory in four days with Josh Sheehan’s first league goal of the campaign, 20 minutes from time.
But Scot Evans believed Bolton should already have been down to 10 men.
Instead, referee Josh Smith deemed substitute Cameron Jerome’s challenge on Carl Piergianni – which left the Stevenage skipper with a bloody nose – was only worthy of a penalty and yellow card.
Two-goal Jamie Reid levelled from the spot for his ninth goal of the campaign before Wales international Sheehan hit the winner.
“(Referees chief) Howard Webb thinks he has problems in the Premier League but they have huge problems in the Football League,” said Evans.
“I have got to be careful what I say about the referee but there were some horrendous decisions.
“They (Bolton) should be down to nine men, eight men maybe. The challenge on Piergianni is a penalty but it is a straight red every day of the week.”
Evans also felt Jack Iredale should have received a second yellow card for a foul before half-time.
But the Australian escaped further punishment and went on to net Bolton’s second goal and provide the assist for Sheehan’s winner.
Evans added: “We made a very good team look average but we got nothing for it. We were far the better team for long periods.
“But there is no point me talking anymore I will put myself in trouble but the standard of officials is getting absolutely dreadful.”
Bolton boss Ian Evatt defended veteran striker Jerome whose challenge eventually resulted in Piergianni’s substitution.
“Cam isn’t that type of player,” said his manager. “He isn’t just going to elbow someone off the ball. It is just not us.
“He jumped for the ball and just didn’t see him behind him.
“They contacted our players enough and there was an incident first half that I haven’t really talked about where Dion Charles clearly gets elbowed – but it is part of the game.
“They got the penalty and, for me, a yellow card and a penalty is fair.”
On a victory that lifted the Trotters up to third, Evatt added: “People shouldn’t underestimate any team managed by Steve Evans.
“They ask you questions. It is tough to play against and takes serious energy and serious concentration with a depleted squad and the energy we put into winning last Saturday.
“So, I am happy for the players to find a way to win. The togetherness in the group is amazing.”
