Referee Josh Smith found himself the target of bottle-throwing supporters during the match between Portsmouth and Oxford United. The referee’s choice to send off right-back Conor Ogilvie in the 17th minute sparked a furious reaction from the Fratton Park crowd. The incident occurred when Pompey’s right-back caught Mills with a scissor-like challenge. Smith thought carefully before handing out the red card.
The sending off came shortly after the hosts took a six-point lead from relegation, with Keshi Anderson putting John Mousinho’s side ahead in the ninth minute. Portsmouth, reduced to 10 men, were under huge pressure and Oxford equalized just after the break with a goal from Brodie Spencer. Nicola Schmidt could only parry the ball past the 21-year-old full-back, who equalized from close range.
Immediately after the red card, a plastic bottle fell near the referee’s feet, prompting him to report the incident to the fourth official. A subsequent announcement on the Fratton Park tannoy warned fans that such behavior was “unacceptable”, but prompted further jeers from the stands.
Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood said: “This is 100 per cent a collective decision. If you’re the referee and you’re making your own decisions, why would you say anything?”
“You can see Keshi Anderson saying to his assistant, ‘Don’t open your mouth’. I know you’re the closest one, but that’s not a red card,” he said, and the referee ruled it a red card.
“We saw the statement there, but they can dress up however they want to make the right decision. For me, this is not a red card. I think Stanley Mills received a much worse tackle from his father (former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Danny Mills) in the backyard.”
The game was an important match at the foot of the championship, with 21st-ranked Portsmouth, who enter Monday’s game, taking on 23rd-ranked USA.
The relegation battle could take a dramatic turn on Monday, with 19th-placed Blackburn and 20th-placed West Brom also playing, while Sheffield Wednesday, who have already been confirmed to remain in League One next season, face Leicester City, who sit below Portsmouth in the drop zone.
This sending off changed the course of the game and forced Oxford to fight back. The comeback continued after halftime, and they did just that.
However, with nine minutes until the end of the game, Oxford’s leading marksman Will Lanccia leaped over a Portsmouth defender to nod the visitors ahead.
A win for Oxford would lift them out of the relegation zone at the expense of Portsmouth.
And with three minutes remaining, Andre Dozell found himself in the perfect position to guide the ball into the bottom corner from a cut-back, pulling Pompey back from the bottom three with a point.
