“No words for it” – Ronan Curtis slams individual following Portsmouth v Fleetwood flashpoint

Portsmouth attacker Ronan Curtis has criticised referee Alan Young for issuing him with a booking against Fleetwood Town on Saturday afternoon – a decision which will see the Republic of Ireland international miss the next two league games.

Pompey found themselves 3-0 down to the Cod Army at Fratton Park but they went into half-time with just a two-goal deficit to make up thanks to Curtis’ penalty on the stroke of the interval.

Second half goals from Marcus Harness and Aiden O’Brien in the end secured a point for Danny Cowley’s side, but despite scoring Curtis was irked at what referee Young had done earlier in the game.

Curtis was adjudged to have dived five minutes into the second half and because it was his 10th yellow card of the season and it is before the cut-off date where they are wiped out in terms of suspensions, the 25-year-old will now miss matches against Oxford United and Accrington Stanley.

He hit out at Young’s decision post-match, telling the Portsmouth News: “Why do I need to go down in that situation?

“I’ve passed him, I’ve got passed him and I’m going into the box before either crossing or shooting. It was a silly (decision) and I have no words to describe it.

“The ref’s probably, I don’t know, felt like I’ve dived or something else. I don’t know what he’s thinking in that moment.

“But, yeah, now I’m suspended for two games and it’s a silly mistake from the referee. I just have no words for it, really. It’s just silly from the referee.”

The Verdict

Danny Cowley will now be without Curtis and his attacking exploits for the next two fixtures – but it would probably hurt more if Pompey were definitely in the race for the play-offs.

It was a contentious decision by the referee and from the replays it