Portsmouth to appeal costly red card ahead of Boro with suspension headache

Ogilvie received a straight red card just 17 minutes into a pivotal game at the bottom end of the Championship. Portsmouth led 1-0 at the time, with Oxford using their man advantage to lead 2-1 before Pompey’s equaliser three minutes from time.

Ogilvie was adjudged to have used reckless force in his challenge by referee Josh Smith, but, with the benefit of a replay, Mousinho says the decision was wrong and will be appealed.

“In real time I wasn’t expecting anything more than a talking to or maybe a yellow,” Mousinho said after. We’ve had the luxury of watching the incident back and seeing it slowed down on the Sky cameras.

“The referee only has one look, but I go back to my thought at the time - I wasn’t thinking it was a red at any point. When he pulled the red out I thought maybe Connor’s elbowed him or kicked out. I couldn’t believe it was for the challenge.

“If you are going to make such a big decision in such a big game, you have to make sure you’re 100 per cent right. You have to get it spot on and the referee didn’t do that, he got it wrong. We will appeal, whether we get anything from it I don’t know, but we will appeal.”

Portsmouth will await news on their appeal, hoping it is successful in order for Ogilvie to be available to play against Boro at the Riverside on Saturday. If not, the Pompey boss will have a selection headache.

Zak Swanson has a knee injury, which means the only logical option would be Jordan Williams - a right-footed defender who last started in a 1-1 draw at Derby on December 20.

Portsmouth come to the Riverside needing points as much as Boro. They’re draw with Oxford leaves them just one point above the relegation zone, albeit with a game in hand (against Boro’s promotion rivals Ipswich Town).

TThose three games at home are going to be absolutely huge for us,” Mousinho told Portsmouth News. “They are massive, massive games. We know with the away support there’s going to be a lot of travel Friday and Saturday going up to Middlesbrough.

“We have to do everything we can to give them a good afternoon, before we come back here Tuesday night and do it again. It’s incredibly tight and it’s in incredibly difficult circumstances we find ourselves in.

“We’ve still got six games to play and there’s still everything to play for. All we have to do for the next six games is put in the level of effort we’ve seen against Oxford.

“If we put that level of effort, that care, fight and consistency into it, as we’ve seen against Oxford, we have enough quality to hurt sides - that’s what we’ve got to do.”

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