Why Portsmouth have decided not to appeal Joe Morrell's four-match ban following red card against MK Dons

The Blues made the decision after speaking to some of the travelling Blues fans who witnessed the first-half incident with Daniel Harvie from an angle not picked up by TV footage.

The midfielder took no part in the Bank Holiday Monday stalemate against Morecambe at Fratton Park – a result that leaves Pompey’s fading play-off hopes almost in tatters.

Now it’s been confirmed that the Welshman will also sit out the Blues’ next three games as well as he serves a four-match ban for the 39th-minute incident at Stadium MK.

Morrell was shown the straight red card by referee Carl Brook for violent conduct. That’s after he and Harvie fell over, with the Dons man having his Pompey opponent in a headlock.

Brook was consulted by one of his assistants before brandishing Morrell his second red card of the season.

John Mousinho’s side were leading 1-0 at the time thanks to Connor Ogilive’s 14th-minute opener, yet conceded a second-half equaliser as the home team claimed a share of the spoils.

Explaining their decision, after originally saying an appeal would be made, Mousinho told BBC Solent: ‘It was one of those where, first of all, we looked at the whole incident and we were really disappointed that the referee hadn’t dealt with the first part of the incident, which was, to put a more finer point on it, a forearm smash to the face.

‘Then it was a headlock and wrestled to the ground.

‘I think then, Joe, in trying to get up, he’s essentially caught him (Harvie) with his knee.

‘Speaking to a couple of fans as well who saw that from behind – we hadn’t seen that on the day – we thought it wasn’t worth appealing as it wasn’t going to get overturned.’

Morrell will now be out of action until April 29, when the Blues travel to Derby in their penultimate game of the season.

He’ll miss Saturday’s trip to Shrewsbury, before sitting out Pompey’s final midweek game of the campaign at Oxford on Tuesday, April 18.

His final banned game will be Accrington’s visit to Fratton Park on Saturday, April 22.