Source: Team_Talk
Grant pleads for 'common sense'
Avram Grant feels ref Steve Bennett should have shown "common sense" instead of sending off Anthony Vanden Borre in the draw with Blackburn.[LNB] The south coast strugglers were given a temporary stay of execution from Premier League relegation after Hull failed to win at Stoke.[LNB]But Grant, who went into the Rovers game without 13 first-team regulars and a substitutes' bench full of youth-team players, was left fuming after Vanden Borre received a second booking for deliberate handball.[LNB]The Belgian right-back was yellow-carded shortly before the break for a foul on Blackburn's Steven Nzonzi.[LNB]Grant had his doubts about this booking, but he was furious when Bennett dismissed Vanden Borre for blatantly handling a ball down the right touchline on the hour.[LNB]The decision rules him out of the club's FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday, April 11 and worsened Grant's already painful selection headache for Pompey's biggest game of the season.[LNB]The Israeli said: "I respect Steve Bennett very much - he is one of the best referees. But we have needed to see more common sense (from referees) this year.[LNB]"In January, February and March we suffered with so many bad decisions against us - penalties that we saw on the television afterwards were not penalties and players not being sent off who should have been.[LNB]"It was one of those situations where if he hadn't given the red card, I don't think anyone would have blamed him."[LNB]Grant added: "I wouldn't say it wasn't the right decision, I won't say it was the wrong decision.[LNB]"It was just down to common sense and there are some decisions where if you don't take them, no-one will blame you.[LNB]"I don't think the first one was even a yellow card because the player gave the ball away.[LNB]"But I'm not speaking about right and wrong - I'm speaking about common sense."[LNB]Grant will also be without Jamie O'Hara next weekend, as the Tottenham loanee has been blocked from playing by his parent club.[LNB]While Pompey fans will be praying for good news on the injury front this week, Grant is not hopeful of having any more than a couple of his missing regulars fit to return.[LNB]He said: "I don't have any good news for the moment because nobody has even started to train again out of the injured players.[LNB]"I think maybe one, two or maybe three will be available, but they will be coming back having not trained normally for a while.[LNB]"But we need them now and if any of them could perform at 60 or 70 percent, it would be better than nothing."[LNB]Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce was dejected to see his side denied a third straight Premier League win, despite enjoying the lion's share of the chances.[LNB]David Dunn and Christopher Samba hit the Pompey post in the first half, while Rovers huffed and puffed but created very few clear-cut opportunities in the second.[LNB]Allardyce admits his side's failure to find the finishing touch has hurt them this season.[LNB]He said: "It has been very much the order of the season for us.[LNB]"We've done this so many times. We've created so many chances to win a game away from home and failed to do it.[LNB]"It's the reason why we've only won two away games in the Premier League this year.[LNB]"It's not the performances. The final touch or the final quality in front of goal has been lacking away from home.[LNB]"That's why we only have two victories on the road instead of four or five."
