Networking Not Working

An acquaintance of mine is looking for work. She’s good with table games, so I tell her the name of my manager at the casino where I work and say:

Me: “Go to the casino and ask for [Manager’s Name]. That’s the best way to start.”

A few weeks later, my manager stops me in the hall.

Manager: “Hey, do you know a woman named [Acquaintance’s Name]?”

Me: “Yeah, I do. Did she come in to talk to you?”

Manager: *Raising an eyebrow.* “Not exactly. She put your name and my name down on her application as personal contacts. Then, in her group interview, before she even introduced herself, I asked her, “So, how do you know [Manager’s Name]?”

I freeze. 

Manager: “She laughed and said, ‘Oh, I don’t. My friend, [My Name] told me to say I know you, so I’d get the job.'”

Me: “I… never told her to do that.”

Manager: “Yeah, I figured. Don’t worry. She didn’t get the job.”

She walks off, leaving me red-faced. Even though I think she believed me, I feel awkward every time I see her after that. That’s the last time I offer to help any of my acquaintances get a job here!