Blues boss Jim Magilton could not hide his bitter frustration at losing in the FA Cup after a player was harshly dismissed.

By Derek Davis

Blues boss Jim Magilton could not hide his bitter frustration at losing in the FA Cup after a player was harshly dismissed.

Liam Trotter was sent off in the 24th minute for a tackle on Pedro Mendes, but the decision looked particularly harsh as the tackle was not two-footed and the Portuguese midfielder made a meal of it.

Referee Mark Halsey took his time but flourished a red card to the amazement of the Blues players and supporters, not least the 19-year-old and both managers.

Magilton said: “It was a very dubious sending off.

“Liam is a midfield player and I expect him to go into tackles. He may have been a little bit late but it was a caution at most.

“An experienced referee deals with that. I spoke to the official at half-time but he told me he is a professional and he is 100 per cent right so that is what we are dealing with.

“We had the same thing last year when Mr Bennett told me he was 100pc right, we appealed and he was 100pc wrong.”

It was the second season running that Town have been dumped out of the FA Cup after losing a player in controversial circumstances.

Last year Steve Bennett wrongly dismissed George O'Callaghan, a decision that was later overturned.

Magilton added: “The sending off ruined the game and probably took an edge off Portsmouth because they thought they could canter through the game.”

The Portsmouth goal came six minutes after the break when David Nugent, who Town had been interested in taking on loan, burst past Alex Bruce and finished low past Neil Alexander for his seventh goal in six games against Town.

Magilton said: “It was a shocking goal defensively. We switched off and we know what David Nugent is all about so it was a really sloppy goal and I'm not happy about that, albeit it was a great performance from us.

Danny Haynes tested keeper David James as Ipswich pressed for an equaliser.

Magilton said: “To go down to ten men and then play in the manner we did was fantastic. They didn't lay down and die and the keeper has made three world-class saves, where as our keeper has not had a save to make.”