'I've got no respect for referees anymore'- Stevenage boss Steve Evans launches into extraordinary rant after his side denied penalty in Peterborough United defeat

Stevenage fell to a 3-1 defeat at the Weston Homes Stadium, their first in five matches.

While accepting that Posh were correctly awarded a penalty to allow them to open the scoring. Evans was left furious that his side were denied a spot-kick of their own for what he perceived to be a handball by Josh Knight after Jamie Reid headed an effort at goal after 31 minutes.

Stevenage remain in the play-offs by a point and with a game in hand to the teams around them but Evans was adamant that if they were to make the play-offs, it would be despite the decisions of referees.

He said: “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 goal scoring opportunity. The referees do it again, don’t they?

“We can come and compete with Peterborough but we can not 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 and Howard 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.

“They have a level of clinicality that makes them a special team with really good players. I don’t think they’ll have a game here at London Road for the rest of the season where a team outplays them all over the pitch for long periods.

“(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 referee’s 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 anymore. 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.

“Darren Ferguson will know he’s a lucky boy when he gets home and has a glass of red.

“I wish this football club- it’s my adopted side- every success and I hope they go on and win promotion and they they win the Bristol Street trophy too.”