Parker bemoans penalty decision after Fulham defeat

Scott Parker insisted referee Jeremy Simpson was at fault for a missed penalty call in the closing stages of Fulham’s 2-1 defeat at home by Bristol City.

Substitute Neeskens Kebano appeared to be brought down in the box by Callum O’Dowda in added time as the Whites piled the pressure on in search of an equaliser, but Simpson waved away the raucous appeals.

And by denying his side the opportunity to level the game late on for a precious point against their promotion rivals, who went equal on points with the Whites in third place, boss Parker feels that the introduction of a video assistant referee may be due in the Championship.

“The referee’s obviously made a big mistake,” he said. “That can happen. It’s human error.

“That’s when you want VAR in the Championship. That time, it would be an instant reversal of the decision, really. It’s one of those things, but we dust ourselves off and go again.”

Booed off after a contentious first half in which the home side and much of the stadium felt that several decision had gone against them, Simpson was also unable to stamp his authority on the game, according to the former Fulham captain.

“I just felt like the game wasn’t in control at times,” he said. “I don’t want to criticise the ref. He’s got a tough job. He’s making decisions in split seconds.

“We’re disappointed we haven’t got the penalty late on. When you come to football matches every week, with me playing for 20 years and now as a coach, you see instances developing.

“As that play was developing, as Neeskens got in front of him, you see the guy coming across him, and I’m thinking you’ve got to be looking for [evidence of] a penalty here. He clipped the back of his leg. That’s the way I see it.

“But it is what it is. Bristol got the win today. I’m ultimately proud of my team.”

The defeat ended a run of four consecutive wins for Fulham since a 3-0 drubbing by Hull at Craven Cottage, but the response to going behind was markedly different this time – with Kebano also heading against the crossbar shortly after the penalty shout.

Parker added: “Four weeks ago we lost to Hull here. The stadium cleared out. The fans probably lost a bit of belief to get back in it, and I feel that the players did as well.

“At 2-0 today with 10 minutes left on the clock, every one of my players were in the ascendancy and didn’t give up. They kept going.

“On another day, the one that hits the bar, the penalty decision that wasn’t, it could turn a different way. I’m proud of the players for that.”