'Their man has kicked him. It's a penalty': Portsmouth's Regan Poole hits back after late, late Norwich controversy
Pompey slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Norwich for their first Championship defeat of the season
Regan Poole is convinced Connor Ogilvie was controversially denied a stoppage-time penalty amid late drama against Norwich.
The Blues were trailing 2-0 with six minutes remaining following first-half goals from Harry Darling and Josh Sargent, while Colby Bishop had frustratingly failed to reduce the deficit from the spot.
Yet Adrian Segegic handed John Mousinho’s men a lifeline from absolutely nowhere with a superb 84th-minute strike to make it 2-1.
Then, during the allotted 10 minutes of time added-on, Ogilvie controlled the ball with his left foot inside the box, took it around Jacob Wright with his right, only to be tripped.
Despite apparent contact, referee Stephen Martin instead booked the left-back for simulation, much to the disbelief of supporters and the Blues players.
And Mousinho’s men slipped to a first Championship defeat of the season.
Poole, who was close to the incident, told The News: ‘He said their man has kicked him, I will take Connor’s word for it. I don’t think he would have gone down, he had a free shot at goal. I don’t see the reason to go down otherwise, so there must have been contact.
‘I was right in front of it, but I couldn’t really see if he kind of kicked him or anything, you needed to be by the side.
‘To be fair, Connor is not really the type to go down for the sake of it, he said he caught him and I don’t see why he would go down because he has got a free shot at goal.
‘I can’t believe we didn’t get another goal to be honest, we had so many chances throughout the game. I had a good chance in the first half which could have changed the game.
‘We couldn't put the ball into the back of the net, Swifty hit the bar, Wadds had a good chance as well at the end there.
‘We were 2-0 down at half-time, so had to have it a go. We gave it everything and just fell short.’
The Blues found themselves trailing by two goals after just 14 minutes following two poor defensive moments.
For the first, Ante Crnac’s right-wing free-kick was headed home by the unmarked Harry Darling, with nobody near the Canaries centre-half.
Then, eight minutes later, a header from the right was flicked on by Jose Cordoba and finished from close range by skipper Josh Sargent to make it 2-0.
Poole added: ‘It was frustrating conceding two poor goals as well. It’s never nice to concede a set-piece, but two right after each other is not ideal.
‘We’ve looked strong from them as well and we’ll have to review it on Monday, but Darling has got a free header in the box for the first goal. Then obviously at the back post with the second goal (Sargent).
‘We were quite poor in the first half, quite wasteful, and then we went a little direct in the second half because we knew it was working. And, if it’s working, why change it.’