Andre Dozzell responds to Portsmouth controversy after Burnley boss left furious over Fratton Park draw
Andre Dozzell weighed into late Fratton Park controversy and insisted: It wasn’t a penalty.
Burnley boss Scott Parker was fuming after failing to be awarded a 75th-minute spot-kick in the goalless draw.
Lucas Pires’ shot was blocked on the line intitially by the chest of Blues man of the match Dozzell, although the Clarets were adamant it should have been a penalty.
After the match, Parker was heard strongly getting his point across to referee David Webb in front of the South Stand as the match official attempted to make his way home.
Regardless, Pompey claimed a thoroughly deserved point thanks to Dozzell’s intervention - and in his eyes it also wasn’t a spot-kick.
The midfielder told The News: ‘I don’t think it was a penalty - and the referee didn’t either.
‘Honestly, it happened so quickly, I didn’t even know if it was going in or not. I had my arms by my side.
‘It hit my belly, then I don't know where it hit. It definitely hit me in the chest, but then my arms were by my side, so I don't know if it hit my arms or not.
‘I’m just thankful it didn’t go in and we got a clean sheet and a point, we’ll take that against a team who is in the top three in the Championship. You have to be a good team to be up there.’
Following successive defeats, it was a fine point for the Blues, who faced a side positioned in third spot in the Championship before the fixture.
With Conor Shaughnessy and Rob Atkinson paired in the centre of defence for the first time, they formed a much-needed strong backbone to Pompey’s play.
John Mousinho’s men may have even won it in stoppage-time, only for Colby Bishop to blaze over the bar from inside the box when he’ll be disappointed not to at least have got it on target.
Still, the draw positions Pompey three points above the relegation zone, lifting them into 20th spot.
Dozzell added: ‘We had chances to put it away and maybe, on another day, we do, we come away with three points.
‘It’s always disappointing not to come away with a win at Fratton Park because we know what we’re like at home. We know, on our day, we can beat anyone here, so of course we will be disappointed.
‘Everyone is working for each other, it’s not a lack of effort or anything like that, it’s just that bit of quality today that we were lacking.
‘On another day we would have come away with a couple of goals and everyone will be saying how good we are. We just have to take the point and take the positives.’