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Manager Neil Harris will take the red card punishment on the chin but felt his Gillingham team were let down by the officials on Saturday.
His side had got themselves back in the game against Portsmouth at 1-1 but with additional overtime being played in the first half the home side scored a second. It was a blow the Gills never recovered from, losing the match 3-1.
Harris was angered over what he felt was an offside that was ignored in the build-up to Portsmouth’s second and the time of the goal, well over the minute of added-on time that was expected.
Referee Darren Drysdale was in no mood to be questioned and brandished a red card in response.
The Gills manager admitted his own team didn’t help the situation, conceding some “horrific goals”, but the referee’s decisions at the end of the first half swung the game back to the hosts.
“I just thought the referee had a really bad couple of minutes,” said Harris.
“I take full responsibility for the red card myself. The way I tried to approach the referee was probably wrong but the FA and officials have to realise what is at stake, we are talking about staying in the division, we are talking about a key moment, playing overtime that affects our whole season, it affects 1,200 fans who travel around the country and affects our livelihoods.
“Officials can go home and be happy and get on with it, ‘did we make an error, or not? It doesn’t matter does it?’ It does matter. I am the manager of Gillingham Football Club, it does matter, they let us down.
“If the referee deems it a decision to give me a red card then I have to accept it.
“If I am aggressive in my nature, if I step on the pitch and use foul and abusive language, then in the heat of the moment, then I have to accept my punishment.
“I can’t change my passion and desire, my winning mentality. I just want people to do their jobs. We didn’t do it as a team, we conceded poor goals, officials didn’t do it in their jobs and we lose a game of football.”
