'We’re little old Blackpool, we get nothing': Neil Critchley fumes at the performance of the officials during QPR draw

The Seasiders produced an utterly relentless display from start to finish and were on the front foot from the first minute to the last.

They cruelly went behind in the first-half when QPR’s Chris Willock curled a sublime effort into the far corner in off the frame.

That followed some early drama, when the Seasiders had a goal wrongly chalked off for offside, while Jordan Gabriel was also denied a penalty.

Neil Critchley’s men kept their discipline though and got their just deserts at the start of the second-half, when Gary Madine levelled from the penalty spot.

The home side produced after after attack in a bid to win the game late on, showing impressive levels of energy. But that all-important winner eluded them.

Nevertheless, Critchley was delighted with his side’s display, remarking: “We were excellent all night.

“I’m so proud of the way the players played. We had a real intensity to our game all night out of possession and in possession we played some fantastic football.

“The only disappointment is that we’ve not got three points because we’ve made a very good team look really average.

“We had too much energy for them and they’re one of the top goalscorers in the division, they score goals for fun.

“But they’ve not really had any chances until the end and if their lad had scored at the death that would have been a robbery.

“We should have won the game, we were by far the better team.”

But Critchley had no option but to focus on the performance of Joshua Smith and his assistants.

The most controversial call came after just six minutes, when Kenny Dougall’s header was ruled out for offside after Gary Madine got a touch to the ball.

But replays showed the ball was already over the line before Madine got the final touch, which left Critchley furious.

“It’s a goal, it’s over the line. Why do we have goalline technology? We might as well scrap that,” Pool’s head coach said.

“I see the fellas coming down before the game testing it, but we might as well not test it, let’s just go back to League One, sack spending all that money - whoever pays for it - and just go back to the linesmen and referees making the wrong decisions like they’ve done all season.

“I’m sick of it, honestly. I try and stay calm, I try and not blame the referees, but that’s a massive decision.

“It’s over the line. Yes, he’s offside, but the ball is over the line. The goalline technology surely tells you it’s over the line before he touches it. That’s the point of having the system in place. It’s a scandalous decision.

“That’s why he’s got one of those fancy watches. What’s the point having one of them? He might as well put a Mickey Mouse watch on. It’s an absolute waste of time.

“We had an incident the other night when Steven Fletcher should be sent off after kicking our player. He scores the winning goal and we lose.

“Stoke should have been down to 10 men and QPR should have been down to 10 men when the goalkeeper should be sent off (for the penalty).

“We’re little old Blackpool, we get nothing. Absolutely nothing and I’ve had enough of it.”

QPR could quite easily have been reduced to 10 men in the first-half when Moses Odubajo scythed through the back of Josh Bowler with a completely out of control challenge.

“People have been saying that to me as well,” Critchley added.

“I’ve not seen that foul back because it was on the far side. It was a bit like the Fletcher one the other night - you don’t quite see it because it’s over there. But people have said it was reckless.

“We could have had a penalty in the first-half as well when Jordan is brought down. He cuts back inside and the defender blocks him.

“We don’t get anything. I don’t want to be that type of manager, you know me well enough, I’m not that type of person. I’m not going to come here and blame the referees, but I’ve had enough.

“There’s been so many incidents during the season that have gone against us, it’s just not right.”

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