Portsmouth vs Leicester ref watch: Three decisions Gavin Ward got wrong in controversial Championship clash

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Credit: Imago Sat 18 April 2026 14:45, UK Portsmouth emerged with a vital 1-0 win over fellow Championship relegation-battlers Leicester City at Fratton Park on Saturday.Both sides headed into the clash in the bottom five of the second tier, with Pompey trying to move clear of the drop and Leicester aiming to move closer to safety.The hosts looked the more likely scorers throughout, and finally found a breakthrough in the 63rd minute as Ibane Bowat forced Adrian Segecic’s corner home at the back post.Leicester were on top towards the end of the game, but failed to equalise and now sit five points from Championship safety with just three games left to play.Football Insider have looked at three decisions that referee Gavin Ward clearly got wrong on a tense afternoon at Fratton Park.Leicester were denied a clear penalty in the first halfLeicester’s rare forays forward saw them limited to just one shot on target throughout the first half, but they felt hard done by in the 10th minute as Patson Daka went down in the area. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES The Zambian striker was looking to get on the end of Abdul Fatawu’s low cross as he stole in front of Conor Shaughnessy and was tripped by the Pompey defender.DateFixture21 AprilHull City (H)24 AprilMillwall (H)2 MayBlackburn Rovers (a)Leicester’s remaining Championship fixturesReferee Ward was unmoved by his claims for a penalty, but replays clearly showed that he got to the ball first and was impeded by Shaughnessy.Bowat handled the ball before scoring Pompey’s winnerPortsmouth took a huge step towards safety with Bowat’s winner that sent Fratton Park into a frenzy, but the goal should not have actually counted.The 23-year-old initially connected with Segecic’s cross using his hand, which, even though it was accidental, should have seen the goal ruled out.Ward can be forgiven for failing to spot the offence, but it was still a huge call that he got wrong in the heat of the moment.Jordan Williams should have been booked for Ricardo Pereira challengeLeicester did push to equalise towards the end of the match, and another decision went against them in the 70th minute as Ward failed to give a clear free kick for a foul by Pompey’s Williams.The stand-in left-back did not get any of the ball when tackling Pereira as he tried to advance down the right flank, but no foul was given, let alone a yellow card.Sources have told Football Insider that Leicester are set for a fire sale if they are relegated, which looks as likely as ever now after this defeat. 🦊 Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Leicester City Insider Access Get the full story from the King Power and Seagrave with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the East Midlands.