Steve Evans labels referee as “incompetent” and says ‘the best team lost’ in defeat to MK Dons

Steve Evans labels referee Craig Hicks as “incompetent” and says ‘the best team lost’ in his side’s 1-0 defeat to MK Dons.

Callum Paterson scored a close-range finish in the 7th minute of first-half stoppage time, turning in Aaron Collins’ cross. Milton Keynes Dons also had chances his the crossbar and the post.

The result sees MK Dons move up to 2nd in League Two with three straight wins and remain unbeaten in 10 home games. Bristol Rovers meanwhile suffer a third consecutive defeat and only 1 win in their last 17 league games, sitting just a point outside the relegation zone.

Bristol Rovers’ Steve Evans spoke on Callum Paterson, who was on a yellow, elbowing Joel Senior off the ball with the first-half coming to an end, before then scoring minutes later.

He said, per Bristol Post: “Oh, the simple facts, having seen it from a yard away myself, if you look at where I am in the technical area, and then you look at the video half-time and afterwards. [Callum] Paterson shouldn’t be on the pitch.

“He’s absolutely smashed his lights out, and he’s already on the yellow. For the fourth official and Craig Hicks to say they’re not.

“But the referee, I thought tonight was incompetent, a lot of his decisions. I’m not questioning Craig Hicks’ integrity. He’s a very honest guy, but you have to be better than that. That’s incompetent for Football League level to miss some of the decisions he’s missed.”

He added that “the best team lost”, praised Ryan De Havilland and Clinton Mola, and when asked on if there will be anymore new signings. “Three or four. Yeah. Three or four, I think we’re trying really hard.

“We’re just trying to improve the options within the group. I think they’ve been very limited, and people can see, you know, when you make even the tactical changes you spoke about, you put Clinton Mola in the middle of the park with De Havilland – it’s a top class midfield if I’m playing against that at the top end of League Two like MK Dons are and the best performance in midfield was lost.

“We’re just trying to improve the options within the group. I think they’ve been very limited, and people can see, you know, when you make even the tactical changes you spoke about, you put Clinton Mola in the middle of the park with De Havilland – it’s a top class midfield if I’m playing against that at the top end of League Two like MK Dons are and the best performance in midfield was lost.

“What concerns me is our passion and commitment effort to win games, because if we can just sort this season out and make sure we’re part of this EFL, make sure the rollercoaster will begin, but I can’t talk about a rollercoaster and a rollercoaster will be the top end of the league where these are.”

MK Dons boss Paul Warne later claimed Rovers were deliberately trying to get Paterson sent off by exaggerating contact. He also spoke on Hicks dismissing claims of a clear penalty foul on MK Dons’ Aaron Collins.

“He’s a contact centre-forward so there will always be contact, but there looked a determination to get him sent off, which I don’t like,” he said, per MK Citizen. “The whole Pato thing was a concern because he got booked early on. He backed into the player, and I’ve seen it back, there was no elbow to the head, none of what he was accused of.

“I was just worried that, second-half, any contact with him and any histrionics by the opposition could land us in trouble. Weirdly, there was none of that in the second-half.

“I’m biased, I know, but if it was the other way around I’d have said they should’ve had a penalty. Collo was the right side of the defender, waiting for it to drop, he got into a great position and felt the contact.

“I just can’t believe he’s gone to ground too easily. Centre-forwards, if they’re through on goal and there’s contact, it’s a penalty, I don’t see the grey area with that. That was disappointing.

“Luckily for us, it hasn’t cost us.”

Warne added: “We’ll play a lot better than that, but we have to respect the opposition. We needed a second goal, which would have allowed us to control the game better.

“It was constantly stopped by throws, free-kicks, it just wasn’t a game for the purists. If we’re going to be successful, it doesn’t matter. We possibly need another ten wins to go up, and it won’t matter how those wins come. I won’t be on the beach in June thinking ‘I wish we played better against Bristol Rovers’.

“If you defend that many long throws and corners, we have to be a really good defensive unit not to concede and for that, the lads have to take a lot of credit.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Steve Evans labels the referee as “incompetent” and says ‘the best team lost’ in defeat to MK Dons…

@willmears115: deluded, the Ref was awful for both teams…

@GasOnTour: Not sure about outstanding, but we played very well and were certainly much improved. Agree, Patterson should defintely have been sent off. Agree, Mola was surprisingly good in midfield. Agree, we need another 4 signings. Hopefully before our biggest game of the season on Sat.

@Jackobrfc999: Another night where we’ve had a real go and been on the end of some dreadful decisions. Having said that, its another game lost to a mistake and another game without a goal .. Saturday is massive

@war35258: Am I shocked that we lost because of ANOTHER referee mistake? No. Still no excuses should have had 3 tonight. Saturday is fucking massive.

@BRFCSamuel: Unlucky gas, shame the ref had an MK shirt on the whole game. Played much better than they did.

@brfctom: For our standards I don’t think we were that bad 😂 Akhamrich and Forde were great today I thought 👍

@BRFCSamuel: Unlucky gas, shame the ref had an MK shirt on the whole game. Played much better than they did.

@GasOnTour: Some ridiculous comments on here. What exactly were you expecting tonight? We actually played pretty well. Had two excellent chances & actually had more shots than MK. Add to that Patterson should have been sent off a minute before scoring. Perfect? No. Much improved? Definitely.

@surreygas95: Does the ref realise there is 2 teams playing here? #bristolrovers

@OliverW67143851: I think for me not only is it a must win Saturday it needs to be a real turning point. We really need to start getting points consistently even if we get draws and the odd win here and there. We need to keep things ticking over. It’s in the players hands to get the job done. #UTG

@RG2Gas:
4 points.
Four.
From 51.
Let that sink in.
#UTG

@RG2Gas: Honestly, lose to Newport Saturday and I genuinely think the season is totally unredeemable. It’s the epitome of a “must-win” game. Literally no coming back for both the team and the fans is there’s another L chalked up #UTG

@td_journo: Very split reaction to that one. I think three successive 1-0 defeats is annoying but considering it’s been vs 10th, 4th, 2nd (now), maybe it could’ve been worse. Harrogate losing 2-1 and Newport 4-1 – with a red to their striker – is handy. 22nd vs 23rd!.. 🟠🏡 crucial. #UTG