Hackett cannot believe incorrect Farai Hallam decision after Portsmouth controversy v Reading
Portsmouth came crashing out of the Carabao Cup after a 2-1 loss to League One side Reading on Tuesday evening.
Pompey were unlucky not to go 1-0 up early on at Fratton Park when Mark Kosznovszky and Thomas Waddingham forced a series of strong saves from Jack Stevens.
In the 34th minute, Ben Killip made some strong stops of his own before Reading’s Andre Garcia eventually fired the ball into the roof of the net.
The Royals ended up doubling their lead before youngster Tayo Singerr added a late consolation, but it was Killip’s second-half controversy that caught the eye at Fratton Park.
Pompey News presents the exclusive opinion of former Premier League and FIFA-listed referee Keith Hackett.
Referee judges Killip handball incident ‘incorrectly’
Nicolas Schmid has quickly become the undisputed number one at Pompey.
The Austrian got the call for the 1-0 win against Oxford, and Killip started the Carabao Cup fixture against Reading, carrying on the normal tradition.
The former Barnsley man was faultless for most of the game, but was involved in a handball incident which caught the eye.
An attempted clearance from the keeper was deflected back to him, and he then picked the ball up outside the area. The referee, Farai Hallam, then bizarrely awarded a free kick in his favour.
Ex-referee Keith Hackett– speaking exclusively to Pompey News – believes the match official misunderstood what happened.
“There is no doubt that the goalkeeper has caught the ball whilst outside the penalty area,” he said.
“However, it appears the reason that Reading did not get a free kick and the Pompey goalkeeper was not penalised is that the referee has judged incorrectly, in my opinion, that the Reading player has handled the ball.
“With the goalkeeper’s clearance at pace and the Reading player closing him down, I do not see how the forward can get his hand out of the way. Neither is the alleged handling offence deliberate.”
John Mousinho to stick with Schmid
Killip’s mistake against the Royals didn’t have any influence on the game, but errors like that won’t be excused by John Mousinho.
| Player | Games | Clean sheets | Save percentage |
| Ben Killip | 294 | 53 | 69.7% |
| Nicolas Schmid | 250 | 73 | 68% |
The Blues boss will continue to stick with Schmid in the Championship, with the Austrian international quickly proving himself as one of the best around.
Pompey’s loss to Reading is costly for Killip, who is now unlikely to be given another opportunity until the Blues kick off their FA Cup campaign next year.
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