‘When you watch the replay’: Portsmouth defender’s red card admission after huge West Brom controversy

Regan Poole admitted he was ‘probably a tad lucky’ not to be sent off against West Brom last week.

But the Pompey favourite enjoyed his hard-fought battle with Aune Heggebo throughout the afternoon at the Hawthorns.

With the scores poised at 1-1, the Baggies were through on goal with the Danish striker one-on-one with Nicolas Schmid.

But, Poole appeared to be tussling with the powerful frontman, with the Welshman eventually clearing - much to the frustration of Ryan Mason who was sent off for his protests.

It was a controversial afternoon, with the decision not to show the centre-back a red card by referee Elliot Bell highlighted on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch with Dermot Gallagher.

The former Premier League official believed the Blues defender would’ve been sent off if Heggebo had gone down rather than stayed on his feet.

And that is the same feeling from Poole, who admitted he was a ‘tad lucky’ to remain on the pitch but insisted decisions will also go against his side this season.

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Pompey verdict on West Brom controversy

He told BBC Radio Solent after Saturday’s victory against Preston North End: ‘Do you know what, he kind of had a hold of me and had his arm across me so I was trying to get his arm off me but it kind of looked like I was trying to hack him down.

‘I didn’t have a hold of him I was trying to get him off me. But yeah I understand it. I’ve watched it back it looks like I’m trying to get him down and to be honest I spoke to him after the game and he was like it was a good battle.

‘And it was a good battle, he’s a strong boy - not the biggest - but he liked a good tussle and that’s all it was.

‘Maybe I was lucky but it is what it is. He was enjoying it just as much as me by the sounds of it.

‘The way we play, we were pushing for the win to be honest. Shocks (Conor Shaughnessy) was stepping in on the number 10 and I was left 1v1 on the half way line.

‘So I kind of knew it was coming, it was down the side and I was trying to get back and I ended up doing that but when you watch the replay, it does look like I have my arms all over it.

‘But to be honest, he does have his arms around me and I was just trying to get it off. But I understand that I was probably a tad lucky.’

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