Derby strangely handled

FA Cup Fourth round/ Southampton 2 Portsmouth 0: The chances of this tie passing without incident always seemed as remote as Harry Redknapp getting an honourary place on the board at Fratton Park, and the fall-out could continue. Portsmouth and their left back Matthew Taylor will wait to see whether letters from the English FA land on their doormat.

Pompey may well be charged and fined after many of their players confronted Mike Tingey, an assistant referee, at the end over the stoppage-time penalty that gave Southampton an undeserved win. The FA is also bound to investigate comments by Taylor, whose outrage at being adjudged to have handled for the decisive spot-kick led him to criticise the officials.

The 23-year-old called Tingey "arrogant" and rebuked the referee, Steve Bennett, who gave the penalty on Tingey's say-so after initially allowing play to continue. Taylor accused Bennett of ruining the game and wanting to put the onus on someone else after mistakenly awarding Bolton a penalty at Blackburn last Monday when fooled by an El-Hadji Diouf dive.

The controversy was a fitting finale to a second half which brought three goals, two disputed penalties, a red card, and ultimate dismay for those Portsmouth fans who had wanted to put Redknapp through hell in a replay at Fratton Park.

It had been impossible to envisage such excitement after a tedious first half. Nor had it seemed imaginable that someone other than Redknapp might finish the day more detested by Portsmouth fans. Bennett and Tingey must be running him close, at least temporarily.

Taylor expressed his own fury at Tingey. "I told him what I thought," the defender said, "but they are so arrogant, they are like school teachers saying: 'You are the pupil so do what I tell you. Go away, I don't want to talk to you.' How can we have officials like that?

"This is the most angry I have been after a match. I went to the linesman and asked him if he would come and watch a replay with me, but he bottled out. You don't expect that from the officials. I said to him, 'are you man enough to come and admit that you were wrong'?"

Taylor called for video replays. In this case they suggested a penalty was valid after he moved his arm - perhaps instinctively - into the path of David Prutton's cross. He was adamant the ball hit a shoulder.

Bennett later explained that he had followed Tingey's opinion because his assistant had a better view. Taylor was unconvinced: "The referee didn't give it and he was closer. The only thing I can think is that he got it wrong last week when he gave the penalty for Bolton so maybe he wants to put the onus on other people."

Stewards had to shield the officials from Portsmouth players afterwards. The FA will examine Bennett's match report and speak to him before deciding whether to charge the club. It cannot be assumed that Taylor will be charged. He has not questioned the officials' integrity and Liverpool's Jamie Carragher escaped action last month after saying Mike Riley had got decisions wrong.

One certainty is Portsmouth merited a replay. They might even have won had Ricardo Fuller taken a great 87th-minute chance.

They were neater and accompanied that with sound defending, hard work and a gameplan that flooded midfield. Gary O'Neil, Linvoy Primus and Arjan de Zeeuw did well and Patrick Berger was involved in many of their best attacks.

Southampton generally relied on long balls to Peter Crouch. They gave away possession too easily, especially in the first half, and could do with a penetrative winger.

It was a rare bout of good interplay that culminated in their opener; Matt Oakley beat Kostas Chalkias, whose kicking and dealing with high balls was suspect.

Immediately, Yakubu Aiyegbeni equalised from a penalty after Diomansy Kamara fell under Claus Lundekvam's challenge. The striker went down easily, but Lundekvam had an arm across his body.

Even after Kamara was sent off for a second booking - handling near the centre circle - Portsmouth looked likelier winners.

Redknapp hinted afterwards that he might quit Southampton, and management, if the club go down. He has been saved an immediate return to Portsmouth, but April's league visit will be even more eagerly anticipated now.

Guardian Service