I think we have been dealt a cruel hand

Last updated : 29 September 2012 By Tony Scholes

Kenny Jackett, the Millwall boss, continued his good run at Turf Moor but he was not over happy about his team's first half performance. "We got off to a very good start and got a goal up," he said.

"After that you are going to have to sustain some pressure and I don't think we did. I was disappointed with another goal from a corner. The header was right on the line and with those type of balls, when you put them in, you don't get away with that so a disappointing first goal. The second goal was just a straight ball from the right back on the half way line and a header in so they were poor goals.

"In our defence our captain Paul Robinson has struggled with a groin injury and has struggled from the start again today. And quite a few people haven't been able to find their feet and their rhythm and so the back four hasn't found that either and that is showing against us in the goals against column but there is no excuse and we have to do better defensively and find a settled back four that can, when we go 1-0 up away from home, sustain a little bit of pressure because there was pressure on us.

"We came into the interval at 2-1 down and in the second half I thought we were terrific. There was only one team in it and we fully deserved our draw, had several chances. I think we hit the woodwork three times and dominated the second half and could have won it at the end with Darius' (Henderson) chance so by the end of the I felt a point was the least we deserved."

On the big talking point of the disallowed goal, he added: "It was clearly offside. I thought it was the right decision. He can't come from that far out of play and do that.

"Then there were a couple of other incidents where he could have sent players off from both sides which he didn't, which is perhaps to his credit, but if we are looking at the referee I felt that I thought we got as bad as anybody. It was a tough game for him, it was very competitive with both sides wanting to win."

Summing up his team's performance, he said: "The second half performance yes and there was a lot right about the first half performance. We've just got to stop giving soft goals away and give ourselves a chance. We showed terrific spirit and when you've lost three on the trot you do need a draw to stop the rot."

Eddie Howe was always going to be asked about the goal that wasn't, and it was a decision that left him, along with the home support, very unhappy.

"“I am not a happy man tonight," he said when he spoke after the game. “I think we have been dealt a cruel hand and should have won the game comfortably.

“The two penalties in the first half I can’t get my head around because they were blatant hand balls, especially the first one, where his hands were above his head. As for the disallowed goal, it may well have been offside, but the fact the flag didn’t go up and the goal was given means the crowd are celebrating, the players are celebrating and we’re getting ready for the kick off.

“To then have it chalked off, I’ve never seen that before in all my years in football.  It was as late a flag as I have ever seen. I’ve looked at the linesman and he hasn’t flagged. The referee has given the goal and it’s happy days.

“Then, for whatever reason the linesman has decided to get involved. I don’t understand it. If he was concerned about offside you would have thought he would have flagged and they would have that discussion straight away.

“The delay absolutely killed our players and it was a huge psychological barrier for our players to deal with because quite rightly we thought we were 3-1 up and had a cushion and it was game over.

“They suddenly believed it might be their day and credit to Millwall. It gave them a lift and they kept going and we conceded late on."

He added: “I haven’t spoken to the ref because there is no point. I will be speaking to the assessor and the referee’s bosses though because I thought he was really poor all day, regardless of the decisions.”