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Ipswich’s Mark Ashton to meet Howard Webb for answers on being denied ‘stonewall’ penalty

Ipswich’s Mark Ashton to meet Howard Webb for answers on being denied ‘stonewall’ penalty in the game against Leicester.

The Premier League fixture played out to a 1-1 draw on Saturday, with Jordan Ayew scoring a late equaliser.

However, the Tractor Boys feel that a penalty should have been awarded after a collision between Abdul Fatawu and Conor Chaplin. Now the chief executive is seeking clarification.

Referee Tim Robinson instead chose to ignore appeals, while VAR also didn’t intervene to prompt a review of the incident.

Both Ashton and manager Kieran McKenna expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision in their post-match comments, with this incident the fourth occasion this season where Ipswich felt that a VAR decision has gone against them, prompting Ashton to criticise the system.

“From an entertainment perspective, I believe the game is worse off with VAR – from what I have seen,” Ashton said to BBC Radio Suffolk.

“All I ask for with refereeing and VAR is consistency. We have not seen consistency. I don’t personally believe, and my colleagues don’t personally believe, that we have seen consistency over the games. All I look for is consistency. Right now, I am confused.

“I actually messaged Howard when we were 1-0 up because I had a sense of the way this was going to go. I’ve been in this game a long time and I could feel it.

“I messaged him simply and said, ‘Look, can we speak directly after the game?’. We spoke directly after the game and some of that conversation needs to remain private because I’ll end up being on a charge, I’ll end up being on a stadium ban, I’ll end up being fined, none of which worries.

“The culmination of the interesting conversation with Howard on Saturday night was that we will meet this week at Portman Road to discuss it.

“We need answers. We need to understand. At the moment, I cannot understand some of the refereeing decisions that were made and I struggle to understand why we weren’t awarded a penalty.

“I have seen former referees giving their opinion that it wasn’t a penalty, but they cannot be serious. Come on – don’t just back your former colleagues – it was a stonewall penalty.”

The result leaves Ipswich sitting 18th in the Premier League table and still without a victory this season.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said to Sky Sports: “It’s a tough one to take. I thought we were much the better team and it’s on the referee’s decision again. It’s a clear penalty and it goes 2-0. Kalvin pulls his foot out of the way and I don’t think he has to make the decision.”

On what he said to the referee: “I said I thought it was a penalty and it had to be given live. He said he thought there wasn’t enough. I thought it was clear. The second yellow card, of course when you look at it in slow motion and the balls bouncing on the edge of the box. I trust Kalvin. I don’t think it’s a wild one. I know you can slow it down but in the context of the game, the ball is bouncing on the edge of the box, and he pulls out the challenge. It’s not a wild one.”

On dressing room atmosphere: “They’re fuming. There’s a sense of injustice in the room. We can always look at our bit and what we can do better but I don’t think the boys have had a fair crack at it.”

Here’s how Twitter users reacted with Ipswich’s Mark Ashton to meet Howard Webb for answers on being denied ‘stonewall’ penalty…

@Genius_Jose2004: Ref should never officiate another game again

@Clairey2112: Measured as always considering the decisions. Good performances and things building, despite the injuries & not getting the decisions & luck at mo. Always got to remember where we’ve come from & how fast. Keep behind the whole group & we go again.

@TheXTractor: As frustrating as it is I do wonder what special concessions MA is expecting to come out of that meeting. I’d rather we focussed on getting a win than promoting this ‘everybody is against us’ narrative.

@Godsy1970: He’s got the platform to say what we are all thinking . Well done Mark.

@Martymoosuffolk: If it’s all getting a bit too much why not come and watch @Woodbridgetown next Saturday. Good football and no stress…oh and we know how to win ~(sometimes) and the refs are the same standard every week!!!

@rossyates9: What are they going to do though, we’re not going to get the 3 points we deserved from that game are we!

@AmandaLWard86: Zero will happen they can’t really remove their goal now… the @premierleague is corrupt anyways look at likes of man city what’s happening with them absolutely nothing they should be fined massively and relegated but that won’t happen so the chance of us getting help is zilch..

@beaumont04: Officials need to start giving post match press conferences. Players and managers do in heat moment. Officials need to be asked the questions and not hide behind Howard Webb and an apology a week later. How can best league still have the worst officials.

@NJPaterson70: Just got home after today’s game. To a man, the team was superb today. Leicester played for a point, and they got it. Officials were poor, again #itfc

@KevinHuckfield: But unfortunately nothing will make any difference as they (@FA_PGMOL) seem to be accountable to no one. Teams go down and lose players & £millions but the next season comes round and there’s no change.

@blife960: Howard Webb and your bunch of courrupt men need sacking. Making a mockery of football. Best league in the world with the worst refs. Hope mckenna goes all out tears into the officials. Someone has to finally speak out. The standard of officials is poor #itfc

@Little_lee82: Staying in the Prem is hard enough without incompetent officials making it harder! Their number 40 waves an imaginary card at the ref (should be his 2nd yellow!) & gets away with it. Phillips sent off for a soft foul 🤷🏻‍♂️ Ref made 2nd half all about him! #itfc

@ksnewberry: Premier League is corrupt. VAR is corrupt. Absolute fucking joke week in week out. Officials are just cunts who got bullied at school. Sick of this shit already. #ITFC

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