'Well below the standards': Furious Portsmouth boss blasts refereeing display in controversial loss at Watford

The Blues head coach did his best to keep his cool when addressing the media following the heart-breaking 2-1 loss, yet was ‘furious’ over the official’s display.

The game’s turning point was the 57th-minute penalty decision following Freddie Potts’ challenge on Kwadwo Baah outside the box.

At the time Pompey were comfortably leading 1-0 through Zak Swanson’s 10th-minute opener - yet Edo Kayembe subsequently converted the debated penalty.

Then substitute Rocco Vata grabbed the winner five minutes into time added-on for an agonising late, late defeat.

And Mousinho delivered his opinion on Eltringham’s display.

He told The News: ‘The penalty is the penalty, I thought the refereeing performance overall, particularly in the second half, was well below the standard we end at this level - and we have fallen victim to it.

‘If you look at just before the penalty, Mattie Pollock drags Colby Bishop down on the edge of the box, nothing’s given. It’s very, very strange to be honest, the whole performance.

‘At the time I thought it wasn’t a penalty because the referee didn’t give a penalty, I don't know how it has been given, so we’ve got to look back and watch it again.

‘I was booked for our bench being messy, that tells you where things are at the moment. I got booked. If you look at the reaction to Watford’s winner, no booking there, that tells me everything I need to know.

‘I’m furious because we need more, we need to deal with the long goal kick as well. I am just lost for words at how we have to deal with this (refereeing decisions) every single week.

‘You have to be careful with what you say. Secondly, I could be here for 30 minutes talking about it (refereeing) and I don’t think it’s worth it.

‘I could give you so many examples. The best example I will give you is after the penalty goes in it is our ball, it’s our kick-off, everybody understands the rules of the game.

‘Yet the referee allows eight Watford players to surround our goalkeeper and Paddy Lane gets punched in the face twice. Nothing happens. It is what it is, we have to move on, we have to deal with it.’

When analysing his team’s performance, Mousinho felt for his players leaving Vicarage Road empty handed.

And he is adamant it was a ‘superb performance’ from the visitors, irrespective of the 2-1 outcome.

He added: ‘I am angry with the players for not dealing with the longer goal kick and actually probably not taking advantage of the couple of opportunities we had towards the back end of the second half.

‘But it’s very difficult to be angry with that group of players after the performance we put in for 95 minutes.

‘It was a really superb performance, I do feel sorry for the lads and I do feel sorry for the fans as well.’