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Pompey boss John Mousinho takes issue with Plymouth goal and says defeat is tough to take

Pompey boss John Mousinho takes issue with the Plymouth goal and says to the media that the 1-0 defeat is tough to take.

Michael Obafemi scored in the 82nd minute to seal a much needed three points for Rooney’s struggling side at Home Park on Tuesday night.

Portsmouth saw Regan Poole’s goal disallowed just a minute into the first half, with it deemed offside. Mousinho’s side also failed to make the most from their chances.

The result lifts Plymouth out of the relegation places into 20th in the Championship table while Pompey stay bottom and five points from safety.

The Blues boss said, per the club website: “It’s probably the toughest one to take this season because of our performance and how much we restricted Plymouth.

“To come away with nothing from the game is a real blow and the difference between the sides is that we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

“We just gone done by a real sucker punch after not dealing well enough with the long ball over the top.

“For all the world I think it’s a foul on Regan Poole – it gets given anywhere else on the pitch and I can’t understand why it wasn’t given.

“But we have to be better to make sure those refereeing decisions or a slip from us doesn’t make a difference.

“I thought the energy was there from us from the very first minute – it was chalk and cheese from the dross we served up at Stoke and Cardiff.

“We showed quality on the ball and mixed things up by going direct at the right times, while also dealing with everything Plymouth threw at us, until the one time at the end.

“It’s just not quite going for us at the moment and I’m less concerned about this game, but we do need to be a bit better.”

He said to The News: ‘Why we lost is pretty simple. We didn’t put the ball into the back of the net when we had the chances and we didn’t create the better opportunities when we broke and nicked the ball back high up – but we still created plenty enough to win the game.

‘Plymouth probably only had Plymouth had three chances, one where we lose a tackle in the right-back area, the other when Tom McIntyre dwells on the ball and it ends up being offside.

‘And then the other is the goal, when we don’t deal with a long ball and it ends up in the back of the net.

‘It’s a weird one because the performances away from home have been so far away from what we need to produce and that has been a real headscratcher. You look at those results and think okay they are fair enough.

‘But this one is the reverse almost because we played so well against Plymouth off the back of a really good performance against Hull. We have not put the ball into the back of the net and not kept the ball out of the net – and we’ve been punished.

‘We didn’t deserve it based on the performance, we pressed high up the pitch, we got some really good opportunities to hurt them on the counter, we hurt them on the turnover, we played some really good football, especially in the first half.

‘It was a really, really good performance. I’m just disappointed we haven’t taken at least a point – and what we deserved was all three.’

He said Regan Poole was fouled by Obafemi inside Pompey’s penalty area: ‘We didn’t defend the goal well enough. I do think where the goal comes from is an issue and I have taken up with the referee. He gives the foul in their box against Regan Poole, it’s really, really soft, and then they go up the other end and we don’t get the rub of the green on that one.

‘Regan does get shoved in the back, it takes him away from where the ball is, he’s never just going to go to ground in that moment of his own accord – and it ends up in the back of the net.

‘We have to deal with the first ball a bit better, but if the threshold for a foul is what’s given in their box, then it has to be given the other way as well.’

“It wasn’t our greatest performance, to say the least, but tonight was all about the result,” said Rooney.

“I said to the players before the game: Whatever happens, we have to make sure we come off the pitch with three points after our recent run of form, so I’m delighted for the lads because they stuck in there today. They worked extremely hard to get the win and thankfully we’ve done that.

“Tonight was a bit more basic than some of the performances we’ve had here at Home Park, but it’s just as effective with us getting the three points.

“I thought we tried to play too much in the first half. We knew Portsmouth were going to come and press us. They’ve done that in all their games. If we play with a tempo and we play quick enough, you can get through that press – and we weren’t playing quick enough.

“I was trying to get messages on to the lads to be more direct, land on second balls and so I was happy to get in at half-time and I could change that up. Andre did a good job competing, and then obviously Michael comes on and you’re hoping he uses his energy, his speed, his power and gets you something out of the game. Thankfully, he’s done that.

“He’s done really well [for the goal]. He used his body well. I’m sure Portsmouth will be disappointed with the defending, but he’s done all the hard stuff in getting the opportunity to get a strike off and it’s a really good finish. I’m delighted for him.

“I thought the lads who came on did really well. I thought Callum gave us a bit of composure and held on to the ball really well, and Moose gave us a bit more of a presence on the pitch. The lads who come on really did make an impact.

“I think it has to give us a bit more confidence. Especially in the first half, I thought the lads looked a little bit nervous tonight, so we had to figure a way to come away with the three points, and we’ve done that.

“It’s a very difficult game on Saturday, against a good Derby County team, very similar to Portsmouth actually, in how they want to go and press the ball.

“Hopefully we can turn our form around away from home and go into the international break with a positive result.”

Fans gave their reaction as Pompey boss John Mousinho takes issue with the Plymouth goal and says defeat is tough to take…

@WebbJ96: Sorry John but we had chance after chance after chance. If we had a competent striker we’d have won that comfortably. Blame the ref all you like, that loss is on our inability to convert a chance.

@Iain_Macdonald7: Jesus Christ this bloke is pathetic, it was never a foul and I’m a Portsmouth fan, we’re all taught as kids to not let the ball bounce and are CB did exactly that and was punished. Excuse after Excuse now and I’m getting tired of listening to it from him.

@lwestlake7: Your defender was just weak, never a foul, ref gave you fouls all game which wasn’t

@CMpafc: Foul 😂😂😂😂 Poole got fucking bodied and incredibly fairly, take your shite team and fuck off

@olpafc_: Cry

@jezzurps: Pompey fan but was never a foul, Poole and Ogilvie just messed up. He is annoyed because a foul was given against Poole in the other box for very little up the other end a few seconds before. Might have a point on that but he’s clutching at straws about the goal.

@StansburyDarren: Looked like a foul from our angle going by what the ref had given on occasion. But, Gray was battered all night and got nothing. So maybe, swings and roundabouts

@keariss: Absolutely gutted. Didn’t deserve that at all.

@DoddJayden: Didn’t see the numerous fouls on Andre grey then 😂 convenient that 🤣🤣

@jm_bell95: What I will say, in defence of Mousinho, given what the referee was giving all game, I’m surprised he didn’t call a foul on Obafemi – Having said that, the defender HAS to be stronger, simple case of Obafemi wanting it more for me #pafc #Pompey

@ShitArgoChants: Mousinho, like his Pompey squad, is out of his depth. A one dimensional team like I’ve never seen before, I’d be worried if I was one of their fans. #pafc

@selnor1983: Never a foul. The defender was awful.

@rocksherpa: Clutching at straws

@argyletweet:
Dear John Mousinho,
Down in England South West,
Is the county that’s best,
Full of rolling green hills,
And a coast that’s been blessed,
And inside of the sound,
Lie the three Plymouth towns,
Where everyone’s known as a Janner.
#pafc

@M4ttF0g: What a baby

@steviebwoy: I don’t think he speaks badly at all, to be fair. On the balance of play, I think Portsmouth had the better chances and if there was to be a winner, it probably should have been them. Argyle were off it again, but we won ugly. Hope we can keep doing so until the injuries subside.

@PupDaz2791: We ain’t scoring, don’t have a striker simples. No excuses on to the next one. PUP

@rubenstorey15: Not me for me mate Poole just gets out strengthened, if that was a foul given against us in the same situation we’d be fuming

@PAFCtrey: What about all the times that Gray was getting dragged to the ground and jumped on, guess he didn’t think they were fouls then #pafc

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