'It's a clear penalty' - McKenna fumes at referee after 1-1 draw with Leicester

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was left fuming at referee Tim Robinson's 'unacceptable' and 'game-defining' decisions at a crucial stage of this afternoon's 1-1 draw with Leicester City at Portman Road.

The Blues deservedly took the lead in the 55th minute when Sam Morsy's fine pass was expertly volleyed in on the angle by Leif Davis.

Then, in the 77th minute, Robinson waved play on after Conor Chaplin was barged over by Abdul Fatawu in the box and, in the next phase of play, showed Kalvin Phillips a second yellow card for a 50/50 challenge with Ricardo Pereira on the edge of the box.

It looked like the 10-man Blues were going to grind out their first Premier League win of the season, but substitute Jordan Ayew finished a slick counter attack in the fourth minute of stoppage-time.

"I think it was the decisive moment in the match," said McKenna, referring to the non penalty award and red card. 

"We've had three games in a row where it's been possibly a decisive moment (involving the officials), but today I think it's clear.

"We were the better team when it was 11 v 11, in my opinion, deserved to be 1-0 up and we should be 2-0 up. I think it's a clear penalty. I don't know how it's not given at the time.

"In my opinion the responsibility lies more with the referee than with VAR. He's in position, Conor (Chaplin) moves the ball onto his left foot, the winger comes steaming out to Conor and just steams into his stomach as he goes to take his shot.

"I don't think it's a debateable one. I think it should be given at the time. Then, to compound that, a couple of seconds later, in the most emotional bit of the game, there's a bouncing ball on the edge of the box that both players have a right to go for, Kalvin's tried to pull out of the challenge, and he gives a second yellow.

"I don't think anyone would have looked for a second yellow at that point. I haven't seen the incident back, you can probably slow it down, but in the context of the game and the penalty that should have been, it's unacceptable, in my opinion, for the referee to put himself at the centre of the match like that. You're not making one game-defining decision, you're making two in pretty much the same incident.

"Of course what's going to make it worse is the VAR intervention. For me it's a penalty that should be given at the time, it shouldn't need VAR to look at it as a clear and obvious decision, but when you've had two weeks in a row, and from the very first game of the season, VAR getting involved in decisions against us, whether that's ones that are given for us and then taken away, or not given and then given, to not have any intervention on that one today...

"I don't know what the solution is. I promised I didn't want to be the manager of the newly-promoted team talking about VAR, referees and the smallest team not getting things, but that's how it's played out in the last few weeks."

Asked if VAR had checked the Chaplin incident, McKenna replied: "The fourth official said VAR looked at it, yeah."

Cameron Burgess stopped a certain Facunda Buonanotte goal in the 87th minute of this match as the 10-man hosts clung on, but Sam Morsy was dispossessed running up the field in stoppage-time and Leicester countered the counter, with Ayew scoring after a slick exchange of passes with Jamie Vardy.

"I think we managed the end of the game well, we took some lessons from last week (losing 4-3 in stoppage-time at Brentford) pretty well and it didn't feel like it was a barrage of chances. There's always going to be a couple, Cameron clears one off the line and you're hoping that might be it.

"The goal incident is marginal. Samy does brilliantly to block a shot, breaks away, could have got something out of the situation. We probably had one or two many bodies run off to join the attack, so we left ourselves a little bit exposed in front of the backline."

Town remain in the relegation zone and still winless 10 games into their long-awaited Premier League return season (D5 L5).

"I don't want to be talking about mixed emotions every week, but there's obviously a great deal of pride and satisfaction in the performance today. I thought we were the better team 11 v 11, we did so many good things in the game on and off the ball, put ourselves in position to win a game again.

"Individuals performing really, really well, both old and new. It's probably Ben (Johnson)'s best game, Aro (Muric) showed great character after last week. You could go right through the team. Cameron Burgess, Conor Chaplin, players who didn't start in the first few games for me in League One now performing like that in the Premier League. There is so much to be proud of.

"The atmosphere was fantastic. We're playing against a Leicester team we know well. Last season we managed to finish two points behind them, but they were seen as possibly the best squad in Championship history. Today I thought we were the better team.

"There are positives to take. It is a draw. It feels like a loss, but it's not a loss. It's 10 games now. Of course we haven't won, but we've got a result in five of the 10 and in probably eight of the games we've been right there or thereabouts. If we keep showing a lot of things we showed today then we'll keep competing.

"The margins are not just VAR and refereeing decisions, that's just one element of it, but I think if we'd even had a fair or even split of decisions over the 10 games so far then we would have a couple of wins."

Asked if he felt there might have been a foul on Morsy in the lead up to the equaliser, McKenna replied: "I haven't seen that one back. It's the far touchline from me, but I have to say I didn't think we got anything today from the referee in general. Not giving Conor the penalty was a reflection of the game, not giving Samy a free-kick was a reflection of the game and giving Kalvin a second yellow was a reflection of the game. Honestly, not even the most ardent Leicester supporter or player would be looking for a game-changing second yellow in that moment. That was reflective of how he refereed the whole game."

On Davis' wonderful technique for the opening goal, the Blues boss said: "Brilliant pass from Samy and a brilliant finish. It's the type of thing we'd rather be talking about.

"Of course they score a brilliant goal late on. It's against 10 men, but it's still a really good goal. We'd rather be talking about those things, but I don't think you can ignore the moment that changed the game today."

With Phillips now suspended for next weekend's trip to Tottenham, McKenna said: "I haven't spoken to him yet. No-one likes to get sent off, but he shouldn't be sent off because the ball should be on the penalty spot. I think the point of having a referee is that they referee a little bit in the context of game and the intent of the players. In that particular moment I don't see a violent challenge, a reckless action or a cynical action. I see two players going for the ball, one player realising he's not going to get there and withdrawing his leg. For me, there was no need for him (the referee) to put himself in the middle of a result of a Premier League game."

On the use of VAR, McKenna said: "I've been public in saying I don't particularly enjoy VAR. I've been in leagues with it, I've been ion leagues without it. If it's there I think it should be a really high bar (for use). You can maybe look at today's penalty decision and say 'is it high enough for the bar?' I think it is, somebody else might say it's not, but for it not to be given live from that close is where my frustration comes.

"Probably where the people of Ipswich will take issue with the VAR aspect is the ones that have we've had interfered with over the last few games. That shows the wild inconsistency with it."