Peterborough United boss Grant McCann frustrated with refereeing decisions and a lack of conviction in Millwall defeat

Posh were beaten 3-0 at The Den after collapsing in the second half having been the better side in the first half. A result that saw them drop below Derby and into 23rd in the Championship standings.

They fell behind early in the second half after the hosts scored from a long throw-in, incorrectly given. Even the hostile home crowd were in disbelief to be given the decision.

McCann said: “We have lost the game today because of us, but I will say the decision to give Millwall the throw-in, which is a massive strength of theirs, has cost us the first goal and swung the momentum in their favour. Up to that point, we were comfortably the better team, I think everybody could see that.

“Yes we didn’t have the end product in the final third, but they changed their shape in the second half we we still had them but the throw-in has cost us.

“It’s a massive decision, you’re playing against a team like Millwall that specialise in long throws and it can hurt you. We should defend it better, we are not tight enough to Afobe and we let him spin and score; it’s just frustrating.

“Geoff Eltringham was the referee when we played Stoke a few weeks ago and he gave a penalty that never should have been against Josh Knight and he admitted that before the game, it’s just really frustrating.”

McCann was also left frustrated by his own side’s lack of conviction. Posh had 12 corners in the match and many more openings to score but were often too slow to shoot and saw seven shots blocked.

He added: “I thought for 50/60 minutes we were good but we just lacked any sort of cutting edge upfront. I’d love to know how many entries we had into their penalty area today, it felt like we were in there a lot but nothing came of it, which is really frustrating.

“Since we’ve come in, we’ve told the boys there isn’t any more what ifs at the club, we just ask them to decide, if you’re going to shoot, shoot, if you’re going to cross, cross. Today we had that seed of doubt and lack of conviction in our play, which you will be punished for against a quality side.

“I’ve said it before, you have to score in your spell and our spell was the whole of the first half. We got into so many areas where we just hit the first man or over hit it. When the first goal went in, the whole momentum changed and we were just a bit lackadaisical after that.”

Posh host Blackpool on the final day (May 7, 12:30pm) and need to better Derby’s result to finish the season in 22nd.