Kevin Nolan ‘seething’ about decision after Reading beat Northampton

Northampton manager Kevin Nolan criticised referee Abigail Byrne for failing to award his side a “blatant” first-half penalty in their 1-0 Sky Bet League One defeat at strugglers Reading.

Reading midfielder Ben Elliott appeared to handle the ball in the home penalty area approaching the interval but Byrne waved away the Town appeals.

The hosts then went on to clinch victory through a stooping 65th-minute header from Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.

Nolan said: “First half, it’s a blatant penalty. How the referee and a linesman can’t see it between the two of them when his (Elliott’s) hand has come up, I just can’t get my head round it.

“Reading are in a tough moment at the minute and if you go and score that goal and go 1-0 up, they’ve then got to do something different.

“Those are the moments that they (referees) have got to get right. There’s just too many of them now that are going against us. I’m seething about it.

“In those moments, we need them (referees) to be strong enough to make those decisions.”

He continued: “We knew it was a penalty right away. The hand going up when the ball is going over you is not a natural position.

“The kid [Elliott] must have thought that there was someone behind him. That’s why he’s done it.

“I’ve seen it from here…50, 60 or whatever yards we are away from it. But she (Byrne) can’t see it from 12 yards.

“I’m also disappointed in the manner in which we conceded the goal. It was really poor on our behalf.

“I don’t think Reading outclassed us or outfought us. It was just that moment (Ehibhatiomhan’s goal) and they punished us for it.

”When we had our moments, we just didn’t have enough quality.”

Reading moved out of the relegation zone and up six places to 16th with the scrappy success.

“It was a big win,” Royals manager Noel Hunt said. “And I think it’s been coming.

“Our performances over the past two or three weeks have been worthy of wins. But we didn’t quite get them.

“But it was a different game tonight and we showed great character.

“I thought that, throughout the game, we showed a real resilience and a real steel. I thought that we deserved to win.

“We got in there, we created some great chances, and I think that it’s all starting to click in terms of our understanding where the ball needs to be when we’re in the opposing box.

“We’ve created a lot of chances in the last few games and I’m delighted for big Kelvin.

“I texted him yesterday and said: ‘Listen, you could be the matchwinner tomorrow. It’s a great opportunity, go take it’.

“He said: ‘I will’. I thought that he was fantastic tonight.”