Portsmouth hero slams 'ridiculous' performance from controversial referee at centre of Oxford United drama
The Blues were furious over Connor Ogilvie’s dismissal in the 2-2 draw against the U’s
Keshi Anderson blasted controversial referee Josh Smith and insisted: Anyone who has played football knows it wasn’t a red card.
Smith became the headlines from the Blues’ 2-2 draw against Oxford United following an officiating performance which angered the Fratton faithful.
His decision to show Conor Ogilvie a straight red card for a challenge on Stan Mills in the 17th minute shocked the vast majority of those present.
Leading 1-0 at the time, it meant the Blues had to see out the remainder of the crucial clash between Championship relegation candidates with 10 men.
Then, in the second half, Smith declined to send off Brodie Spencer for a foul on Terry Devlin, despite the Oxford man already being on a yellow.
And man of the match Anderson, who shone on his Blues full debut, afterwards criticised the refereeing display.
He told The News: ‘It’s one of those moments where a player makes the most of something that isn’t anything.
‘It looks like a red card, but I don’t think it is a red card. The player got up and didn’t even have a scratch or any pain to him or anything. You could see, in that sense, he (Ogilvie) didn’t touch him.
‘For the referee to give a red card for that is ridiculous. The tackle on me in the second half was worse, if anything. The guy (Michal Helik) is lunging in from five-yards away and caught me above my right ankle. It’s a worse challenge and he gets a yellow card for it, it doesn't make much sense.
‘It was the linesman who gave against Connor essentially, this is what they do. I was right behind it, it was something which maybe could be perceived as a lot more than what it was.
‘I don’t know if he (the referee) has ever played football. If he has then maybe he would know it wasn’t a red card.
‘It’s part of the game, you are going to have moments like this, refereeing decisions either for or against. We had another one against us in the second half, where their player should have been sent off.
‘I said to the fourth official, is it because it’s on Sky Sports and they want to make it two teams right at the bottom with a bit of drama around the game? Maybe this is the cause because some of the decisions were ridiculous.’
Having led at half-time through Anderson’s ninth-minute opener, Oxford fought back to take a 2-1 lead with goals from Spencer and Will Lankshear.
However, in the 88th minute, Andre Dozzell converted Milli Alli’s left-wing pull-back to claim a dramatic point in the 2-2 draw.
Anderson added: ‘The referee wasn’t the worst, he wasn’t the best, referees are referees. They have a hard enough job as it is to manage 22 players on the pitch.
‘But obviously certain decisions change games so dramatically. They need to try to have an outlook on it from a player’s perspective - not from a referee’s perspective.’