Rotherham United manager Steve Evans did not hold back in his criticism of referee Thomas Parsons after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Reading FC in League One.
Reading had taken the lead in the first half through their top scorer, Harvey Knibbs, but Sam Nombe equalised from the spot in the 57th minute. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Parsons awarded a controversial penalty deep into stoppage time after adjudging Zak Jules to have fouled Knibbs. Knibbs made no mistake from 12 yards, scoring his 13th goal of the season to hand Reading a dramatic victory.
Evans: “That Was an Atrocious Performance”
Evans was left infuriated by the referee’s performance, suggesting that the decision to award Reading a penalty was incredibly soft.
“It was very soft. Zak’s arms are up so he gives the referee an option to give a penalty. And it looked like he was willing to take that option if he was given one. We’re on the wrong end of some atrocious decisions. For me, the standard of refereeing is now getting to the stage where every manager is getting concerned.”
The Rotherham boss has a long history of criticising refereeing decisions, and he hinted at growing frustration with officiating standards in the division. Evans also took a swipe at Reading boss Noel Hunt, joking about the fortunate nature of the Royals’ victory.
“Hunty’s won the lottery to get them winning that… If he’s an honest man he’ll say it.”
Second-Half Improvement Not Enough for Rotherham
Evans admitted his side were second-best in the first half but felt they dominated after the break. Despite their improvement, the controversial penalty decision cost them dearly.
“In the first half, there wasn’t really a lot in the game. But I didn’t think that we were really at it,” he said. “I’m probably pleased that we went in only 1-0 down and not 2-0 down.”
“We came out for the second half and we changed the shape, changed the system. There was just one team trying to win the game.
“We were totally dominant, we were attacking it and opening up Reading with ease. But for the referee to be able to do that at the end, I really feel for the boys.”
Writer’s View
Steve Evans’ outburst is hardly surprising, given his history with referees, but there’s no doubt Rotherham will feel hard done by. The decision to award Reading a stoppage-time penalty was contentious, though Zak Jules did give the referee a decision to make. Ultimately, Rotherham’s failure to capitalise on their second-half dominance cost them, and Reading took full advantage.
