Saturday 10 September 2016 08:56, UK
Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy has warned his players to cut out the grappling in the penalty area after a controversial 2-1 defeat at Reading.
The Tractor Boys were drawing 1-1 but conceded a spot-kick in the 95th minute, when defender Jonas Knudsen hauled down home midfielder Joey van den Berg.
Referee Jeremy Simpson again pointed to the spot - his third such award of the evening - and Danny Williams slotted in the Reading winner.
"Reading were shouting for penalties every time the ball came in the box," McCarthy said. "It happened in both boxes and a penalty could be given every time there is a corner.
"But once the referee has warned us [about grappling], it's gross stupidity to do it. If you give him the opportunity to give a penalty, then that is daft on my players' part.
"Whatever happened to just standing there and heading the ball. That was my modus operandi generally. Just go and head the bleedin' thing, but maybe that's just a blast from the past.
"The guy's ran into Jonas and they are grappling but the pair of them are doing it. The real frustration is we've lost. It's a huge disappointment. I thought we played really well. We were the better team in the second half."
Ipswich, unbeaten in three Sky Bet Championship matches coming into the game, looked sluggish early on and went behind in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
Grant Ward was harshly judged to have handled in the area, from a Tyler Blackett cross, and Garath McCleary slotted home the spot-kick.
Ipswich equalised in the 50th minute, when Blackett nudged Brett Pitman in the back at the far post and the forward then fired in the penalty.
The team traded punches until the late drama when, with McCleary having been substituted, Williams kept his cool from the spot after Knudsen grappled with van den Berg.
Jaap Stam, the Reading manager, said: "We created quite a few chances in the first half and could have scored a couple of goals.
"Ipswich pressed us higher in the second half and they made it difficult for us. There was not much space for us to pass the ball through. Our players did not want to take the risk.
"The first penalty, you can give it. It is a handball, not deliberately going for the ball with his hand. But if the ball passes that player, maybe it gets to one of our players and he can score.
"Their equaliser wasn't a penalty. But the referee made a decision to give it.
"The third penalty was a penalty because they were holding Joey and that's why he went down. It's not easy for the referees because they need to make decisions in split seconds.
"It's important that a referee can read a game and knows the situation when the defender is making the foul. It's not easy for them but they're not always consistent."
