Portsmouth boss Grant fumes with ref after dismissal

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant hit out at the match officials after he was sent off during their 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

Grant was furious with Kevin Friend after getting two penalty decisions turned down and seeing Ricardo Rocha dismissed for conceding the penalty that led to Darren Bent's 12th-minute opener at Fratton Park.

"Referees are honest but they go with the atmosphere and they also read the papers, so it is easy to do it," Grant said.

Friend also dismissed Lee Cattermole and David Meyler for the visitors but Grant felt his side were still on the rough end of the decisions.

Grant feels referees are now turning on his team after Pompey have felt victimised from other areas earlier in the season.

"I cannot fight against the whole world," Grant said. "For me, about the Premier League deciding on an embargo that did not give us an equal chance.

"Then in the last 10 days there is the referees. Against Manchester City there was a clear penalty and a goal from offside. Against Fulham there was a clear offside against Bobby Zamora. Against United it was 1-0 and there was no penalty when (Patrice) Evra used two hands.

"Against Sunderland, two clear penalties against us. I can fight against everything but sometimes it is too much. Maybe it is too easy to do things against us."

Friend actually dismissed Hassan Yebda initially for the foul on Bent before Rocha told his team-mate to stay on the field.

"I think he didn't see it so clearly because he gave the red card to Hassan not to Ricardo," Grant added.