Stevenage boss Steve Evans was adamant that Bristol Rovers’ late equaliser should not have stood, saying there had been a handball in the build-up and that goalscorer Chris Martin had also been offside before firing home a brilliant leveller.
Evans believed his side were the better team in the 1-1 draw at the Memorial Stadium, as the Hertfordshire outfit chalked up a first draw on the road in the league this season.
Martin scored a sublime long-range chip from 35 yards out after 83 minutes to cancel out Jamie Reid’s 40th-minute opener.
Evans said: “They [the Bristol Rovers fans] turn up in great numbers and they back their team. They’re honest people here and they’ll know when they go home tonight and watch it back, they’ll know what happened: they’ll know that it’s an offside by five or seven yards, that it’s a handball and they’ll take a point.
“When my team gets outplayed I know that I’ll take a point.
“They tell me not to say it [criticising the referee]. You don’t shut a boy up who tells the truth.
“People will talk about the chances that Kane Hemmings missed or the two chances that Carl Piergianni normally scores. They’ll talk about aspects of football, but the referees are not good enough, and as long as I see it I’ll say it.
“I watched my players get yellows for kicking the ball away in the first half deservedly, I watched their goalkeeper kick it away when we got a corner…”
Evans received one of a host of yellow cards handed out by referee Matthew Donohue in the game but the veteran manager shrugged it off, saying: “That doesn’t bother me. He’ll tell his grand kids. I’ll tell my grand kids that we should have won the game and I’ll show my wee grandson at two-and-a-half the decision and he will say that’s nonsense.”
Rovers manager Joey Barton also had criticism for referee Donohue, as the Pirates’ three-match winning run at home ended.
“Look, it’s a foul,” said Barton, of the challenge on his goalkeeper Matthew Cox in the run-up to Reid scoring.
“We were unfortunate not to win the game. We were pushing, pushing, pushing…If you can’t win them then don’t lose them.
“We felt aggrieved – we felt we should have had a penalty before Chris’ goal. The ball skips up and hits [Luther James-Wildin] on the arm. I just don’t know the decision-making. Some of these decisions are Keystone Cops.
“In the midst of this Evans is going bananas at the referee, which is normal at the end of the game. If they’d have won the game they’d have been very fortunate because they weren’t better than us.
“First half we were a bit nervy. They’re not an easy team to play against. I have to be pleased with the effort,” added Barton.
USWNT goalkeeper Naeher to retire from international football
United States goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is to retire from international football next month.
Naeher has won 113 caps for the USWNT and was a regular between the sticks during their most recent World Cup-winning campaign in 2019, also starting for Emma Hayes' Olympic Gold medallists in Paris earlier this year.
The 36-year-old, who has represented the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL since 2016, will link up with Hayes' side for their upcoming friendlies against England and the Netherlands, but that will be the final camp she attends.
Naeher said in a statement posted to her Instagram account: "With immense gratitude and very thoughtful consideration, I have decided to retire from the international game.
"Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honour.
"This has been a special team to be a part of and I am beyond proud of what we have achieved both on and off the field. The memories I have made over the years will last me a lifetime.
"I know one chapter is ending, but I am so excited to continue to see the growth of this team going forward and what more they can accomplish."
Hope Solo (202) and Briana Scurry (175) are the only goalkeepers to make more appearances for the team than Naeher, who made her debut versus Argentina in December 2014.
Mbappe position switch works wonders for Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti was satisfied his tactical decision to switch Kylian Mbappe's position in attack paid off in Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Leganes.
Mbappe scored his seventh goal of the season to help Madrid to a comfortable victory in LaLiga on Sunday.
However, his position in Madrid's front line has been a topic of debate since he joined the Spanish champions, with Mbappe having often played out wide while at Paris Saint-Germain.
And Ancelotti elected to switch Mbappe out to the left flank against Leganes, with Vinicius Junior spearheading Los Blancos' attack.
"Mbappe played on the left side, where he did well, and Vinicius on the inside," Ancelotti told reporters.
"We have to highlight their play to open the scoring. They did very, very well. Mbappe scored, after a fantastic assist from Vinicius. Little by little, they're both improving.
"Kylian is more used to playing there and today, for the team and for him, it was the best thing.
"Because playing on the outside brings more effort and Vinicius was back on Thursday. Meanwhile, Kylian had been training here for a week and a half, he was fresher."
Mbappe was not called up by France coach Didier Deschamps for this month's Nations League games, despite being Les Bleus' captain.
With an injury crisis at the back and a trip to Anfield to face Premier League and Champions League leaders Liverpool coming up, Ancelotti added he was hopeful of Lucas Vazquez, who has a hamstring strain, and Aurelien Tchouameni, who is recovering from a sprained left ankle, returning to action.
He was also upbeat about the contribution of Federico Valverde, who scored from a free-kick while filling in at right-back.
"The truth is that Fede, at the back, has done very well," said Ancelotti of the Uruguayan, who also wore the captain's armband.
"He's a fantastic fullback. After Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez, the best right-back in the world. His problem is that he can play at this level in many positions and is the coach's problem to choose the best position for the team.
"Let's see if Lucas and Tchouameni can recover. If not, we will make decisions."
Jude Bellingham netted Madrid's other goal as Ancelotti's team closed to within four points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who drew 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Madrid also have a game in hand on Hansi Flick's side.
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