Reading boss Paul Ince critical of referee’s display as they suffer defeat to Millwall

Reading manager Paul Ince was critical of referee Michael Salisbury’s performance in yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Millwall.

The former West Ham and Manchester United midfielder was booked by the official in the second period.

Ince agreed with Salisbury’s decision for the decisive moment of the match – ruling that keeper Joe Lumley had brought down Zian Flemming inside the penalty area. Andreas Voglsammer clinically dispatched the spot kick.

Asked if the foul was inside the box, Ince said: “I think it was. I’ve looked at it. You get a lot of managers who say ‘oh, I’ve not seen it’. But I’m not sure what the ruling is, that if it isn’t inside the box that he sends him off.

“Do you say he has come out too far, too quickly? I don’t know. It comes from our mistake. It was a great pen, to be fair. He took it really, really well considering Joe has gone the right way.

“After that you knew what was going to happen – they were just going to defend, defend, defend, defend. They do that well.

“The ref was poor. Even three minutes of injury time – there made so many bloody subs and there were so many fouls. It baffles me. It was the same situation as Tuesday night where they played five minutes and they actually forgot to put on the (Chris) Basham one, which was three minutes 32 seconds. I’ve spoken to them and they forgot to put that back on.

“How can you do that? The standard of referees has not been great. Again we had one today that was not great. It’s got to be better because these are the situations at the business end of the season, not just for Reading Football Club but for every team in the Championship. They have got to get things right.

“It’s not an easy job as a ref, I get that, but it also can’t be that hard sometimes.

“I’m looking at the battle between AC (Andy Carroll) and Jake Cooper and (Charlie) Cresswell, you’re thinking ‘just let them go, just let them play – it’s a battle’. It’s great, it’s what football is about. He kept stopping it and starting it. At one point we had a counter attack and he stopped it because someone (was down) and he didn’t get his head touched. We’re in the final third and about to cross the ball. What are you doing? You can’t do that. Because someone goes down it doesn’t mean it is always a head injury.”