Journalist Michael Graham was left shocked with the officials failing to see a foul on Daniel Ballard in Sunderland's draw 2-2 with Queens Park Rangers.
The Lowdown: Sunderland held by QPR
The Black Cats suffered a frustrating afternoon at the office on Saturday, as Championship football returned to the Stadium of Light once more.
Despite taking a 2-0 lead and being in complete control, Sunderland conceded twice in the dying minutes, with QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng scoring a last-gasp equaliser.
Unfortunately, Ballard only lasted nine minutes of proceedings after colliding with an opposition player, with the centre-back ending up in hospital after the incident.
The Latest: Journalist left fuming
Taking to Twitter after the game, Graham was shocked at the officials' inability to see what happened in a response to Alex Neil's post-game update on Ballard's situation, describing it as 'staggering':
"Which the referee didn’t even SEE btw, never mind award a foul for. Staggering that a player can be hospitalised on the pitch without an official even seeing it. Bad look for the EFL, that."
The Verdict: Fingers crossed
The hope is that Ballard's injury doesn't prove to be anything too serious, with the 22-year-old averaging two clearances and one tackle per game in the league so far this season, impressing at the heart of the defence.
The fact that the referee didn't properly address the incident at the time is certainly an indictment of the current standards of officiating, as Graham alludes to.
Far more consistency is required from those in charge, even though the job is tough, and poor decisions are highlighted even more without VAR in the Championship.