Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has moved to explain why Ayoze Perez was so upset following the defeat to Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies were dumped out of the Carabao Cup at the second round stage after losing 3-1.
Goals from Daryl Murphy, Matty Cash and Gil Dias were enough to send the Reds through.
There was a frantic end to the game, with three goals being scored after the 90 minute-mark.
There was an incident with the scoreline at 2-1 Forest that had Newcastle seething.
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Luke Steele appeared to bundle over Ayoze Perez in the penalty area, only for referee Jeremy Simpson to ignore the visitors’ claims for a spot kick.
On second viewing it was a clear infringement and the Newcastle players were rightly furious.
Ayoze’s anguish
After the game Perez was particularly upset.
Had the referee correctly blown for a penalty, the course of the match could have been completely different.
There would have been a chance to draw level at 2-2.
Speaking once the dust had settled, Benitez revealed that it might have been an accumulation of bad luck so far.
He said, as quoted by Chronicle Live: “Yeah it’s because it’s not the first time this year and we’ve had three games. We are disappointed with that. He is OK now. The decisions were not in our favour and that is difficult to take.”
Benitez is right
Newcastle have definitely not had the rub of the green with refereeing decisions so far this season.
The Magpies have also been on the end of dodgy calls in each games they have played so far this term.
Calls that, on each occasion, have changed the course of the match.
It is little wonder Perez needed restraining following the latest mistake.
There’s only so much hard luck one can take before patience wears thin and anger boils over.
It anything it shows that Perez really cares, but he and his teammates do need to drastically improve and quickly. ‘You make you’re own luck’, as they say…