REFEREE Graham Salisbury won’t be getting many Valentine’s Day cards from Leeds United fans this week.

Key decisions by the Lancastrian official left them fuming as impressive midfielder Alex Pritchard ended United’s four-match unbeaten run as his goal gave promotion-chasing Brentford a 1-0 Championship win at Elland Road.

After Salisbury rejected three penalty claims, the build-up to the Tottenham loanee’s 64th-minute winner appeared to include a handball, rubbing salt into home supporters’ wounds.

Frustrated Leeds manager Neil Redfearn was equally upset by Salisbury’s decision-making. He said: “When you get decisions going against you constantly throughout the game you are fighting with one arm behind your back.”

Bees boss Mark Warburton, whose team moved up to fourth, took the opposite view. “The referee came under enormous pressure from the crowd but he gave it as he saw it. If you look back at the game without any sound they were not penalties,” he said.

However, the blame-game only deflects from a below-par display by Leeds who simply didn’t create enough to have won the game.

They never looked balanced from the start as they failed to build on the previous week’s win at Huddersfield.

Well-organised Brentford’s tactics were simple – attack on the counter with the pace of Andre Gray and Ramall Jota. The Bees’ gameplan worked well and but for the alert Marco Silvestri could have been a couple of goals in front before United’s first – and strongest – penalty claim.

Leeds, rather than feed off what they considered injustice, seemed to get distracted by the officials’ deci sions and Brentford took control in the second-half.

In addition to Pitchard’s goal, substitute Jon Toral hit a post with a thumping shot as the Bees mounted several dangerous raids on the home goal.

United’s attacks were sporadic and Redfearn may need to rethink his tactics for tomorrow night’s trip to Reading ahead of an increasingly important home battle against fellow strugglers Millwall on Saturday.

Leeds United: Silvestri, Wootton, Bamba, Cooper, C Taylor, Byram, Cook, Murphy (Cani 84), Austin, Sharp, Morison (Antenucci 73). Subs (not used): S Taylor, Beradi, Bianchi, Mowatt, Sloth. Cautions: Cooper, Austin, Cook.

Brentford: Button, Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Bidwell, Douglas, Diagouraga, Pritchard (Smith 82), Dallas, Jota (Toral 57), Gray (Long 65).

Subs (not used): Craig, Saunders, Bonham, Yennaris. Cautions: Dean, Bidwell, Toral.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Att: 23,164