US Portsmouth end Blackfield & Langley Wessex Premier meeting with just EIGHT players on the pitch

USP had both John Cass and player-assistant manager Tom Jeffes dismissed in the second half while Conner Grant finished the fixture in the sin-bin.

But Jeffes was particularly aggrieved at his dismissal. The US Portsmouth captain was sent-off for a handling on the goalline, although he claimed he had headed the ball clear of danger.

The USP player-assistant manager said: ‘Myself and Tom (Grice; US Portsmouth manager) are probably two of the fairest people. We’re very honest, we don’t complain, we don’t blame others - we blame ourselves firstly - but I think in the past two games we’ve had game-changing decisions go against us which have killed us in both matches.

‘If you’ve known me for 10 or 15 years you’ll know I’ve never complained about officials.

‘With me, five minutes to go, I headed the ball off the line which the referee gave nothing. The linesman, somehow, has flagged from 30 yards away to say I’d handball it.

‘Obviously he (referee) went over and consulted with the linesman, gave the penalty, gave me a straight red card.’

Cass was the first US Portsmouth player handed his marching orders having not taken too well to the referee's decision to send him to the sin-bin on 66 minutes.

The game's major talking then arrived five minutes from the end. Jeffes cleared the ball off the line, with the referee initially with the referee continuing play.

However, his assistant said Jeffes had used his hand so he was sent-off and Owen Fee slotted home the spot-kick.

Things got worse for US Portsmouth as Wayne Robinson doubled the visitors' lead in second half stoppage-time before Conner Grant was sent to the sin-bin for the remainder of the match leaving the hosts with just eight players on the pitch.

n AFC Portchester made it four wins on the spin with a 2-0 victory over Wessex League Premier Division bottom-side Hythe & Dibden.

Defender Zak Sharp got the opener in the first half before Lamin Jatta completed the scoring after the restart.