'If someone wants to stand next to the fourth official and put pressure on him, I get it. It's not my style though'

LAMPARD REFLECTS ON TOUCHLINE SPAT AS CITY STAY TOP OF THE TABLE

- By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

FRANK Lampard put his touchline confrontation with Portsmouth manager John Mousinho down to “emotions” of the game while insisting he was “defending” his club.

The Sky Blues kept up their excellent run with a victory on the south coast on Tuesday night, Brandon Thomas-Asante striking twice to put the visitors in command before a late consolation from Makenzie Kirk.

Table-topping Coventry City boss Lampard was angered early in the first half when his opposite number remonstrated with the fourth official after Pompey didn’t get a penalty for handball against Jay Dasilva while attempting to block a shot from Min-hyeok Yang.

Lampard took exception to Mousinho’s rant and attempts to influence the official, Stephen Martin, at one point grabbing his sleeve in the spat and resulting in Martin having to play peacemaker by coming between them. The Sky Blues head coach said: “I haven't seen it again but John managed to have an incredible viewpoint on it and thought it was a penalty. I didn’t think it was at the time, and that’s the end of it for me. So listen, I think it’s one of those stadiums. It’s a great stadium to play and the crowd will be behind the team.

“It can be pressure on the referee, added pressure on the fourth official that I don’t think is necessary but it's the emotion of a game. I understand it. I would do similar in different terms. Your emotions get the better of you when you want something but I don’t think it clear at all”