FIFA to scrutinise Poll performance

The performance of Barclays Premiership referee Graham Poll will be analysed by FIFA before they decide what action to take after his yellow-card blunder in last night’s match between Australia and Croatia.

Poll booked the Croatia player, Josip Simunic, three times, only sending him off on the third occasion.

However, there will be no immediate response from FIFA, with a spokesman saying: “We had a first in the history of the World Cup, unfortunately, when a player received three yellow cards – this is a little bit too much.

“In terms of the referee, this will be analysed and we cannot make any further statement on that.”

FIFA did admit that, had Australia lost the game and gone out of the World Cup, they would have had grounds to request a replay.