Charlton boss: referee fell for Portsmouth's 'play-acting' - and we're the better team despite defeat

The Blues ran out 3-1 winners at The Valley to move up to fourth in the League One table.

Michael Jacobs, Tom Naylor and Andy Cannon were all on the scoresheet for Kenny Jackett's side.

The Addicks had the lion's share of possession throughout the encounter but created few goalscoring chances bar Jayden Stockley's equaliser.

The Charlton boss felt the official, Lee Swabey, awarded Pompey too many soft fouls throughout.

And although Bowyer admitted that the visitors deserved to take all three points back to Fratton Park, he's adamant his outfit are the better of the two.

He told the Addicks’ website: ‘Overall, it’s very disappointing. Do I think Portsmouth are better than us? No, I don’t.

'Even though we're off the back of a 3-1 defeat, I don’t think they are better than us but they are very good at what they do.

‘If you don’t match what they're good at then you’re going to lose. They’re a good side and good at what they do.

‘It’s not like they were cutting us open, we were giving them the ball in bad areas and you can’t do that. From start to finish, we were too soft.

‘They got foul after foul after foul. I think the ref was soft and they got foul after foul.

‘Darren Pratley got booked and that’s why I had to take him off because he won the ball cleanly but it's a yellow card.

‘The ref fell for all their play-acting if you like. It was constant.

‘I don't know how many balls they put in our box from free-kicks but it's a lot. Half of them weren't even fouls but the ref has bought into it.

‘Even the fourth official standing next to me was laughing at times because he knew they weren't fouls.

‘But that's the game and Portsmouth are very good at what they do. You witnessed it all.

‘Fair play to them, they were clinical in front of goal and took all their chances well. Their defenders made a lot of blocked and defended well.

‘On another day, would we have won? I don't think we would have done.’