Paul Lambert has labelled Gillingham manager Steve Evans a “disgrace” for post-match “lies” claiming the Blues boss had said “something very concerning” to him during the game and had also insulted one of his players.
"He said something rather concerning during the game,” Evans, 56, is reported to have said by the Kent Messenger.
"I spoke very politely to the fourth official and the referee noted it at half-time. He tried to put his arm around me and asked that I wouldn’t say anything further to the referee.
"He doesn’t need to come and talk to me [after the final whistle]. After what he said during the game in the first half. It was really alarming.
"Lots gets said between benches. Every week, there will have been tussles (between benches) at Lincoln and Oxford, tussles at Doncaster and Peterborough, there are differences of opinion, that is all it is and then it goes away. Not not what happened today. But we will let the referee and people that need to know deal with that. They are aware."
Evans wouldn’t elaborate on precisely what was said: "He said something that would concern someone in the street, never mind a professional football manager trying to win a game. I will leave it at that and leave the referee to do what he has to do.
The much-travelled boss, who along with his assistant Paul Raynor maintained a lively dialogue with the fourth official and the Town bench from the first minute of the game and refused to shake hands with Lambert at the final whistle, also claimed the Blues manager had made a comment to one of his players, Jack Tucker, who was making his first league start.
"You don’t do that in this game do you?” Evans continued. "You don’t need to shout at a young man making his debut, ‘you’re rubbish son’ when he kicks one ball out of the park.”
In response an angry Lambert, who in his post-match comments had sought to make light of the touchline exchanges, although was clearly unimpressed, told the club site: "I have seen Steve Evans’s comments and they are disgraceful and a load of lies. The abuse that was coming from their bench was vile.
"I have worked in the Premier League and I’m competitive and gone up against some great managers but I have always shown total respect throughout my career.
"I went to shake hands with Steve Evans at the end of the game and his assistant but they waved me away. That’s up to them but it shows a lack of respect and it’s not how I play the game.
"As for saying I spoke to one of the players the way he has suggested, complete rubbish and lies. I would never talk to a player like that. I went around saying ‘well played’ to their players after the game.
"What’s been said by Steve Evans is a disgrace and what I and my assistant Stuart Taylor had to put up with on the touchline was a disgrace as well.”
It’s not the first time Evans has made derogatory comments about a Blues manager after losing to Town.
In 2016 when boss of Leeds, following a 2-1 Blues win at Portman Road, Evans slammed Mick McCarthy’s Blues for "lumping” the ball up to striker Daryl Murphy, said they had been "as bad in spells as we were” and dismissively added that if Town were "the benchmark [for the play-offs] then we’ll take that benchmark”.
McCarthy responded a few days later, saying: "He can talk, can’t he? He certainly gives his jaw some exercise, I don’t know what else but his jaw certainly gets some exercise.”
Town and Gillingham meet again at Portman Road in the Leasing.com Trophy on Tuesday 8th October.