Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers suffered from a "poor referee" in an incident-packed 3-1 defeat at Fratton Park on Saturday.
Connor Ogilvie's first-half header gave the hosts the lead, shortly after a serious injury for Pompey midfielder Louis Thompson, who was caught by Glenn Whelan on the touchline and is feared to have suffered a broken leg. The Irishman received a yellow card to the frustration of the home fans, although replays showed the damage appeared to be worsened by the Portsmouth man's leg being trapped and his studs getting caught in the ground.
Rovers equalised through Aaron Collins after the break, smashing home after good work from John Marquis, but they were behind again eight minutes from time after Harry Anderson was deemed to have fouled substitute Joe Pigott in the box. Anderson cleared the ball after a parry from James Belshaw, but Pigott felt contact and referee Gavin Ward pointed to the spot in front of an 18,000-strong crowd.
Pigott would convert the penalty but moments later the Gas believed they should have one of their own when Collins claimed he was tripped by Joe Rafferty. This time, Mr Ward said no, booking Rovers midfielders Paul Coutts and Sam Finley for their protests.
Owen Dale scored a third by heading home Dane Scarlett's cross in stoppage time but Barton believes the referee's performance was a deciding factor in the game.
"We showed a bit of resilience," the Rovers manager said. "Obviously, we’re disappointed we got beat and you never enjoy losing a game of football. But, I don’t think it’s through the effort of the players, it’s more due to the composure of the official.
"I can’t tell the difference between the two of them (the penalty claims). I actually think if anything, there is more contact from Rafferty on Azza, but we didn’t have the Fratton End shouting for it and people, I think, were affected by the stadium.
"I felt the referee was really poor today for us. Every decision, he decided to give to them and I think it stems out of the nonsense from the manager and the assistant. I was in the stand and I could hear them trying to get Glenn Whelan sent off for a competitive tackle on the edge of the touchline.
"They are screaming and jumping up and maybe it’s because they never played football and maybe that’s how you’re meant to behave, but you shouldn’t be screaming as an opposition manager to get a 91-cap international dismissed from the pitch when he has clearly made contact with the ball. It is a foul, it probably is a yellow card."
Rovers dropped to 15th in League One after their second defeat of the week, with six points from their five games. Shrewsbury Town are the next visitors to the Mem in seven days' time.
Barton has made no secret of the fact he intends to be busy in the remainder of the transfer window, and he believes Rovers will be stronger with the reinforcements he wants.
"Disappointed to lose today because we were in the ascendancy," Barton added. "I felt at 1-1 we were going to push on and I have to take the fall for it because I bring Jordy Rossiter and Lewis Gibson off the pitch because they haven’t played a lot of game time and I’m mindful of the war and the battle of a 46-game season.
"I’ve said to you I’m five players short, so if I push them on and they get injured in the last part of the game, I’d have been disappointed.
"We’re a work in progress. We’re far from our strongest. We didn’t hit our bootstraps until February last year, but if they are one of the top boys in the division and that’s Pompey and Fratton Park and all that, we’re going to be OK."
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