LEEDS head coach Steve Evans slammed referee Anthony Taylor following his side's 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday – insisting the official "should be with the under-nines on the park pitches".

Evans was incensed with Taylor's decision to rule out Liam Cooper's 'goal' following Alex Mowatt's 78th-minute free-kick.

The man in the middle had blown for Mowatt's free-kick to be taken, but then deemed Wednesday had not completed an earlier substitution – Fernando Forestieri had not left the pitch – and after consulting his linesman ordered the set-piece to be retaken.

Evans saw the ball hit the back of the net, but after nipping straight down the tunnel to the toilet, returned to see it chalked off and was left furious.

"I've been into see Anthony and he said by law he's got it right because it should be disallowed," said Evans, who revealed Sam Byram had requested not to play after the club accepted a bid from Everton for the 22-year-old last week.

"I've seen many times where the referee stops it for a substitution, someone's taking for too long and he restarts play, but I've never seen somebody going back to restart play again, ever.

"He's a Premier League referee who's stepped down to take a big derby – he should be with the under-nines on the park pitches on Monday.

"You cannot make a mistake of that magnitude in a game which means so much to both sets of supporters."

Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal had, perhaps understandably, a different view of proceedings.

"To me it's very clear. The fourth referee showed a strong personality," he said.

"My view is very clear that he must cancel that goal because the game has stopped at that moment to do the substitution."

Gary Hooper's double had earlier put the Owls on the way to victory at Hillsborough, with two early second-half goals.

The on-loan Norwich City striker tapped home just 69 second after the break to open the scoring before adding a second three minutes, following up as Leeds goalkeeper Marco Silvestri could only only parry Forestieri's initial shot.

It means the former Celtic forward has scored four times in his last two games, having proved the hero in Wednesday's 3-2 win over struggling Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening.

Carvalhal's men are now one of the Championship's in-form sides and have surged into the play-off positions.

Having won five of their last six matches, Wednesday have replaced Ipswich in the division's top six.

For Leeds, knocked down the 17th, it extended their run without a victory to five matches.

Byram's request. meanwhile, will surely spell the end of his time at Elland Road following the offer from Everton, believed to be in the region of £5 million, last week.

With West Ham and Newcastle also thought to be in the hunt, Evans told reporters before the Wednesday game: "You never say anything is done until it is complete do you? If he's with us, fantastic. If he's not, everyone at Leeds United will wish him good luck."