Steve Evans lets fly at referee over Rotherham United loss

The Millers played well enough to win the contest but suffered a 2-1 defeat that left them in 14th place in League One.

Jordan Hugill had a first-half effort harshly ruled out before a second-half shot by Joe Powell went in off a Reading player and wasn't permitted to stand.

Evans vented his anger at man in the middle Thomas Parsons, saying: "That's an atrocious performance from a referee who didn't look up with play, who didn't look as if he could get around the pitch.

"That's an opinion. I'm not questioning his honesty in making decisions, I'm just questioning his talent to be a referee at League One level."

The Rotherham United manager believes his side have been on the wrong end of too many raw deals in recent weeks and mentioned losses against Birmingham City and Shrewsbury Town and the draw at Blackpool as he railed against officialdom.

"Birmingham away came down to a referee, Shrewsbury at home came down to a referee, Blackpool away came down to a referee, then today comes down to a referee," he said.

"I'll speak to the EFL head of referees (Mike Jones) tomorrow and he'll say: 'Yeah, you were unlucky.' Like he did after Birmingham, like he did after Shrewsbury, like he did after Blackpool.

"We can't keep on being unlucky. Is it just bad officials? I'm not the only manager speaking out against these guys." Reading took the lead through Harvey Knibbs and the Millers equalised after the interval when Sam Nombe converted a spot-kick.

Then came the flashpoint in added time as Zak Jules fell foul of the referee who decided the centre-half had pushed over Knibbs. The Reading man picked himself up to score a last-gasp winner.

"I think it's very soft," Evans said. "Zak's arms are up so he gives the referee the option to give a penalty. It looked like the ref was going to take an option if he was given one.

"We were on the wrong end of some atrocious decisions. The standard of refereeing is reaching the stage where every manager is getting concerned."