Blackburn Rovers should've had a man advantage at Portsmouth, according to a former Premier League referee.
Valerien Ismael's side were beaten 1-0 at Fratton Park after an early strike from Josh Murphy. Having regained control of possession in the second half, Rovers struggled to impose themselves in the final third and break Pompey down.
That might've been easier had they been down to ten men in the first half. Regan Poole was booked for a strong challenge on Yuki Ohashi by referee Jeremy Simpson.
The Portsmouth centre-back got some of the ball but was penalised for the force of the challenge, which caught the Japanese forward in the process. Fortunately, Ohashi was able to continue.
READ MORE: Blackburn Rovers' growing issue that Valerien Ismael is still trying to solve
Poole could and maybe should have been dismissed, according to Keith Hackett, former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official.
“One of the processes of a referee is to see, recognise, think and act. The wrong coloured card was produced," he told Football Insider.
“The challenge used excessive force and endangered the safety of his opponent with serious foul play that should be sanctioned by a red card.”
