Popbank, I agree it doesn't happen often enough for my liking, but that doesn't change my mind in that Dowd got it spot on, and is something I would like to see him, along with other referee's do more often, actually use the advantage, as an advantage, not just an excuse to let play go on for 2 seconds, the team lose the ball, and not have to blow for the free kick.
I have always liked the way the rugby has used the advantage, in that if you gain no advantage of the play continuing, you go back.
In this case, at least from my point of view, was that the advantage lost from the tug, was a shot at goal (if balanced, he would have shot with Marshall running out, Marshall would never got as close as he did) I mean Wickham never did regain control of the situation. So no advantage was gained, so Dowd made the right call, so for me it was 100% correct. In fact I thought he showed balls in doing it, I think most refs, would have bottled it, and carried on, which of course for you guys is a kick in the teeth, but it is something I would like to see all refs start doing.
As for inconsistency, we have been having that problem for a while, we have always felt we got the short straw, just look how long we went without a penalty, and in that time there were some clear nailed on penalties turned down, one of them being this one.
http://www.footytube.com/video/Swansea-City-vs-Manchester-City-175710
Watch it from 1:45 onwards, how we never got that is beyond me.
Refs are inconsistent, they are on the whole, pretty damn awful, but for me, I have to give Dowd credit for what I feel was bang on what all refs should be doing, its just **** luck for you guys to have been at the wrong end of it.