‘Shut up and sit down’: Portsmouth boss’ official run-in as he makes feelings known amid Norwich City penalty drama
Referee Stephen Martin was a central figure in the Championship clash with Norwich City. Pompey boss John Mousinho had strong views on what unfolded.
John Mousinho rued the ‘definite’ penalty which never was in Norwich City defeat.
And the Pompey boss has revealed his run in with the fourth official, as he was left perplexed by the big refereeing calls in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Fratton Park.
Mousinho: ‘poor decision..strange...definite penalty’
The Blues fell to their first league reverse at PO4 since March, as they paid for poor defending and an often disjointed display at PO4.
A late charge arrived, however, as the Canaries were forced on to the back foot, with Colby Bishop failing to convert a second-half penalty.
There was a huge late call by referee Stephen Martin, as Connor Ogilvie went to ground under a challenge from Jacob Wright deep in stoppage time.
Replays appeared to confirm there was contact with Ogilvie indicating after the game that was the case, but Martin opted to book the Pompey man for simulation.
Mousinho branded it a ‘strange’ and ‘poor’ call for Martin, with the Blues head coach unhappy with what he perceived as an imbalance over the threshold for fouls for the two sides.
He made that clear in conversation with fourth official Ben Atkinson, with the National Group referee forceful in his response.
Mousinho said: ‘I thought it was a penalty on Connor. As soon as he blew the whistle I thought he was going to give the penalty.
‘I thought we deserved it, I thought we deserved it with the build-up of pressure and I thought it was a strange decision that didn’t go for us.
‘I thought that was the theme of the day, the penalty doesn’t go in and we don’t get a second penalty. John Swift’s one comes back off the bar and Wadds’ one at the end that he’s been burying in pre-season, he doesn’t bury it. That was the theme of the day.
‘There was definitely contact and ultimately he’s brought him down in the box, so I thought it was a definite penalty.
‘I’ll go and unpack it with the referee, but I thought it was a poor decision.
‘The first goal comes from a free-kick where I thought it was soft and I didn’t think we were being afforded the same privileges. That was what I was speaking to the fourth official about and asking for a bit more consistency.
‘It was only minor bits really, but the fourth got a bit annoyed with me and told me to shut up and sit down.
‘But I think if you give the free-kick for the first goal, it’s got to be a penalty.’
Pompey boss ‘can live’ with Lang penalty shout
On an afternoon where there was a focus on refereeing calls, there was also claims for a Pompey penalty in the first half as Jose Cordoba tussled with Callum Lang in the box.
Mousinho that was a call which was not dissimilar to the one Oxford had against the Blues, as Lang challenged Stan Mills with no penalty given.
He added: ‘That was one which was very similar to Callum’s one against Oxford last week, that was given our way so probably on balance we can live with that one. It was a decent enough shout.’