Richard Hughes has branded referee Lee Mason as 'useless' following the 5-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Pompey midfielder feels Malouda should have seen red
Portsmouth midfielder Richard Hughes has branded referee Lee Mason as 'useless' following the 5-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Hughes was left fuming by the match official's performance as Ricardo Rocha suffered a serious facial injury in a collision with Florent Malouda.
Tommy Smith suffered a broken nose after a tussle with Daniel Sturridge and Hughes felt his side were very hard done by, and also believed there was a foul on Jamie O'Hara in the build up to Chelsea's opening goal.
"I was behind Malouda, but I presume he led with his arm and caught Ricardo," Hughes told the
Portsmouth News. "It looks like he has fractured his cheekbone. You don't get that without contact with an elbow.
Scrap
"If you are not going to get sent off for fracturing a cheekbone with an elbow, you might as well scrap the rule of red cards for an elbow.
"I though the referee was indifferent all night at best.
"Ultimately, the first goal was not his fault - but it was a ridiculous non-decision not to give the free-kick.
"Tommy's was another decision. It wasn't an intentional collision, but it's a head injury right in front of the linesman.
"There were a lot of useless decisions like that.
"Major decisions went against us, but even without that I thought he (Mason) was useless all night."
