Kevin Nolan unhappy with Nesta Guinness-Walker red card and other refereeing decisions in Reading stalemate

Nesta Guinness-Walker was sent off on for two bookable offences and it was the first of those yellow cards that upset Nolan, while a late foul on Tariqe Fosu also saw the Town boss complain to the officials. Fosu seemed to win the ball but the decision went against him due to an apparent high boot, despite the Reading player stooping low for an attempted header.

"We've lost Nesta for the next game because of the red card and I was a bit disappointed about that,” said Nolan. “I thought the yellow card in the first half was harsh with everything else that was going on. I felt the referee got quite a few bits wrong today and it always seemed to go against us. I’m sure (Noel) Hunty will probably say the same thing!”

On the Fosu incident, Nolan added: "The fourth official didn't see it but the referee did and he was the only one in the ground who thought it was a foul to them. Even their staff were laughing at it.

"The fourth handled it really well to be honest because he just said he didn't see it as he was sorting their subs out, but when a player goes for a diving header at knee height and my lad goes in, that's not dangerous play by my lad. That's their player being brave and trying to win a ball and then taking my lad out.

"I was disappointed in that moment because it should have been our free-kick and that would have allowed us to get up the pitch and put the ball in the box but instead it's the other way around. It's not about the actual foul, it's about the consequences.

"They end up going up the other end and putting us under pressure. We should have been in their half and maybe we would have built a bit of momentum. That's why I get upset but it is what it is.”