MARK Halsey is a good referee.

But when even he can get a decision so badly wrong as he did at Molineux on Saturday, it proves yet again that football must fully embrace technology – and not just the goal-line cameras FIFA are finally set to sanction next season.

Halsey denied Wolves a blatant first-half penalty when he ruled Newcastle defender Steven Taylor’s foul on Jamie O’Hara had occurred outside the area.

Video replays clearly showed contact was at least a yard inside the line.

Wolves were 2-0 down at the time and, although they got it back to 2-1 to set up a dramatic finale, their frustrations were compounded in stoppage time when Matt Jarvis headed down for Kevin Doyle to equalise, only for Halsey’s assistant – wearing a black baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes – to rule that the ball was already out of play. Again TV showed the officials were wrong.

Goal-line cameras would have been useless in both instances but a fourth official with instant access to a video screen would have meant different decisions and, almost certainly, a different result.

I’ve said it before and I’m prepared to say it until I’m blue in the face. I don’t care a jot about play having to be stopped for a few seconds, just as long as the big decisions are the correct decisions.