Alan Shearer's dignified response to events at Grimsby earned him plenty of respect but the same could not be said of two of Wednesday's other key figures, reports Stuart Rayner. Alan Shearer left Blundell Park on Wednesday with his reputation in much better shape than his face. But while Shearer took a battering on the field, Justin Whittle and Mark Halsey have done so off it. Shearer was involved in a running battle with Grimsby Town captain Whittle after his elbow caught the centre-back in the face early in the game. While Shearer's action appeared accidental - and he quickly apologised to Whittle - there seemed little doubting the intent behind Whittle's response. Whittle glanced backwards before smashing his forearm into the striker's top lip, an injury Shearer needed three stitches in. Malcom Macdonald - no stranger to the physical side of football after his time as Newcastle United's No 9 - was critical of referee Halsey's failure to punish the player. "I'm fully with Alan Shearer on this one," the former England striker said. "He got done and he knows it. Whittle knows he did him. "All professional footballers who saw that would have seen the little look. He knew what he was doing. "If the referee can't see that he's got to question himself and whether he should be there. He was in a perfect position to see it." Shearer's former United team-mate Warren Barton, who was at the game, believes Halsey ducked his responsibilities. "The referee acted as if he was going to stop the game," he pointed out. "He put his whistle to his mouth. "What was he going to stop the game for? There certainly wasn't a foul by Alan. "I feel he took the easy way out. It was an intended elbow. We've seen it before where we've had cheekbones, noses etc broken. "Everyone saw it was a definite foul but he knew if he gave the foul he'd have to send the lad off. He didn't want to do that." Shearer would no doubt subscribe to Diego Maradona's comment, made in a national newspaper yesterday, that "you can't be a saint and still be successful in football." Late in the 1997-98 season Shearer notoriously kicked Leicester City's Neil Lennon on the head but escaped punishment from a Football Association perhaps fearing the consequences of disciplining England's skipper and star player so soon before a World Cup. Shearer's supporters, though, can point to the fact he has only been red-carded twice in his career - and one of those, ironically for use of the elbow, was later rescinded. Barton has had first-hand experience of Shearer's tough approach - even in training - but was quick to point out this did not make him a dirty player. "Alan will give it out and put himself about as we all have done playing the game," the former Magpies right-back said. "You take the rough with the smooth - that's all part of British football. Alan just got on with it on Wednesday and that's why he's the player he is. "He's a fair player. Stuart Pearce was a fair player, Graeme Souness was. They go out to win games." Macdonald was full of praise for the way Shearer reacted to the incident. The 35-year-old was furious with Halsey ("I have never seen Alan react like that in the 10 years I've known him," said Barton) but limited his retribution to scoring the only goal of the game. "I used to say it a million times myself: I got my own back by putting the ball in the net," Macdonald said. "It says a million words about Alan Shearer that he did that. There's always that desire for revenge and the obvious way is to put flesh on flesh but sticking the ball in the net hurts a lot more than any punch. "But the physical side of the game is what needs policing most of all. You need that policing on the streets and on the football pitch." What annoyed Barton most was not Halsey's human error but his refusal to front up afterwards. The authorities have clamped down on referees admitting mistakes after a flurry of early-season soul-baring, something Barton is unhappy with. "What baffles us as former players is that managers have to come out and face the media - if there's an incident like that the referee should do the same," he said. "As a player you want an explanation. If he comes out and says he didn't see it, well I'd want to know why, but that's fair enough." But he was careful to add: "Mark's a good ref. We're not after hanging people out to dry but it has to be dealt with. We understand people make mistakes." On the issue of whether further action should be taken against Whittle, Macdonald said: "If they're going to do the game a service, yes they should punish Justin Whittle. But they should look at the referee." `Supermac', however, felt a word with the official would suffice, arguing: "I think he'll suffer enough." | 
