'He might have had a phone call from his wife' - Stevenage boss angry as Blackpool have momentum in race for League One play-off spot

Steve Evans has launched a scathing attack on referee Carl Brook for his failure to award Stevenage a penalty in their 3-1 defeat at Peterborough on Wednesday night.

The Boro boss asked: “what does he get paid for?” following his inability to spot a handball by Josh Knight in the 31st minute that denied the visitors a clear goalscoring opportunity. Evans also said he had lost all respect for referees following the key moment, when the game remained scoreless.

The defeat leaves Stevenage sixth in the table and just one point above Blackpool, who aided their own play-off ambitions with a 1-0 win at Northampton on Tuesday night. Evans and Co have a game in hand still. But their advantage over the Seasiders was four points at the start of the week. And with Boro winless in three, the momentum has suddenly shifted in Blackpool’s favour in the race for a top six finish.

Concentrating on Brook’s performance in the defeat to Posh, Evans told Sky Sports: “Everyone at home knows the result is not a fair reflection of the game. We were by far the better team. We saw how clinical Posh were, they were only in our box four times and they’ve scored three goals.

“The game changes on 31 minutes when there’s a clear penalty. It’s a clear handball, it’s the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. The referees do it again, don’t they? We can come and compete with Peterborough but we cannot compete when we see handballs in the box like that not given.

“I think he knows now (Carl Brook) - he might have had a phone call from his wife or something, but he knows now as he’s told two of my players walking off ‘I think I know I’ve missed one in the first half.’ Wow.

“I can’t accept that he couldn’t spot it, what does he get paid for? We get this every week. I’ll go away and speak to Mike (Riley) and Howard (Webb) at the PGMOL and we’ll get an apology and he’ll get a coaching lesson.

“Managers get the sack, referees get told to be better. Carl is a very experienced referee, he’s not got a big decision in the game to make, not one. Apart from that one in the 31st minute.”

Peterborough opened the scoring in the 41st minute from the penalty spot, following a foul on Ephron Mason-Clark.

Evans added: “(Posh’s penalty) It is a penalty, the referee has seen us give away a penalty hasn’t he? They keep doing it to us.

“We have to somehow go above these decisions to get into these play-offs.

“I spoke to the second head of referees the other day and he said you’re top of the league for big-match key decisions that go against you. We’re one further clear tonight.

“I’m sick of referees. They say respect them, I’ve got none, absolutely none any more. What are they going to do, fine me? They can’t make me have respect. Performances get respect.

“I go away tonight looking at the 31st minute, if that’s for Posh they get a penalty. I’m not questioning Carl’s integrity. If he’s not got in a position to see that, then he’s got a lot of coaching to do hasn’t he? I don’t think he’s at the age where coaching is going to help him now.’

Stevenage’s next game in the race for a top-six spot is against Leyton Orient at the Lamex Stadium on Saturday. Blackpool head to Wigan at the same time.