Right-back Janoi Donacien revealed that referee Andy Haines said that Town centre-half Mark McGuinness had inadvertently scored Pompey's controversial winning goal during their 3-2 after-extra-time FA Cup victory over the Blues at Portman Road on Saturday rather than visiting defender Sean Raggett, who actually stabbed home from a couple of inches when clearly offside.
The contentious goal in the 111th minute ended Town’s participation in the competition at the first round stage for the first time since 1955.
Donacien, one of nine players to come into Paul Lambert's team, admitted that the defeat was difficult to accept, particularly given the manner in which it came about.
"That’s one of the toughest I’ve taken in football in a very long time,” the 27-year-old said.
"I've seen a picture a picture at the end, I think the ref’s said that Mark's put it in. But Mark’s five yards away from it and there’s a guy stood literally behind [keeper] Dai [Cornell].”
Town’s recent refereeing woe has been well documented with big decisions having gone against them at Lincoln and Sunderland prior to Saturday.
Asked whether the players feel cursed at the present time, Donacien added: "Yes, I think the gaffer said something like that after the game. We’re just not getting it, but it will turn for us.”
"Prior to the controversial goal, the Blues had turned the game around from 2-0 down to 2-2, which the St Lucia-born full-back illustrates the spirit in the camp.
"I think it just shows what this group’s got,” he said. "I think we were in charge of the game when they scored their two goals, so then after that I feel like we just continued and kept playing and kept playing and we got our reward for it. But in the end [it was a shame to lose to that goal].
"Everyone gets on well here, everyone’s good, everyone backs each other up, so we know that we will fight for each other to the end.”
The former Accrington man admitted he was feeling the pace in injury time having played rarely this season, his last game having been the Papa John’s Trophy tie against Gillingham a month ago.
"It’s been a long time since I’ve played so it was good getting out there today, but it was just a shame how it ended,” he said.
"I was hoping to [get the shout to play]. I do my bits in training, try and push myself. And then luckily enough the gaffer said ‘Go and have a go’.”
He says players in his position have to take their opportunity when it comes: "That’s football, you get a chance, you have to take it. If you don’t, you can’t have any complaints.”
He added: "It’s tough because you can run as much as you want after training, you can run as much as you want in training, but there’s nothing that can replicate 90 minutes on a football pitch.”
But he believes there is a pathway into the team if he performs when he gets his chance.
"I think so, I hope so,” he continued. "I just have to keep on doing the best that I can do when I get these chances in the cup competitions or whenever I get a chance to show it.”
Does he feel under pressure when he gets a game in those circumstances? "There’s no pressure. There’s pressure in the world right now, there’s no pressure for me to play football.”
Quizzed on whether manager Paul Lambert keeps players who are on the fringes involved on a matchday, Donacien added: "You can tell where you are, it’s just up to you to keep yourself going.
"You can’t wait for anyone. Especially for me, I know my situation, I just have to keep trying my hardest, keep pushing, making sure that he sees me.
"It’s a tough one. I want to play as many games as possible. You just have to keep on going.”
Donacien says he didn’t look to make a move in the summer, despite having featured only sporadically in the couple of months before last season was brought to an early close and having spent the final months of the previous campaign back on loan at Accrington, from whom he joined the Blues for £750,000 in the summer of 2018.
"I wanted to play, I wanted to stay here and play, I wanted to fight for a position,” he said.
Despite having operated as a centre-half and at left-back, Donacien was keen to stress he is a very much a right-back, but at the moment has skipper Luke Chambers blocking his way into the side in that position.
"That’s the tough one, Chambo’s come in and he’s been really, really good,” he said. "If he was playing poorly and still playing then I’d be upset but [I can’t be] if a player’s doing really well.”
And Donacien knows that Lambert’s options in that position will be increased soon with Kane Vincent-Young closing in on a return after his lengthy injury absence.
"More competition, so it’s up to me just to keep my head going and keep ticking on, keep pushing,” he reflected.
Donacien is confident the Blues have what it takes to be among the contenders at the top of League One come the end of the season.
"We’ve got more than enough to be up there,” he insisted. "Just a bit of luck, like you’ve seen, a bit of luck. Things will turn for us.”
Despite his tiredness after 120 minutes on Saturday, the former Aston Villa trainee is keen to be involved when the Blues travel to Crawley for a Papa John’s Trophy tie on Tuesday.
"Yes, I’ll rest on Sunday, get the legs rested, stay away from my kid for a bit and then I’ll be good for Monday, back in training.”
He says his son, aged 18 months, gives him the run around at home: "Definitely. I’ll be chasing him from seven until seven!”
Town face Portsmouth in League One at Portman Road on December 12th. Does he believe that pushing Pompey so close on Saturday will give the squad heart going into that match?
"To be fair last year we had one as well when we lost to them down at their place [1-0] and we wanted to get one over them again today,” he said.
"And I was playing against El [former Town striker Ellis Harrison] and we tried getting to him a bit because he was giving us a bit as well.”
Harrison, sold to Pompey by boss Lambert in the summer of 2019 after only a year at Portman Road, was clearly up for the game at Fratton Park last season and similarly looked to make an impression when he came off the bench on Saturday.
"That’s what El’s about, but I think we should be giving him a bit more,” Donacien said, who was adjudged to have fouled the Welshman for the free-kick which led to the goal, somewhat harshly it appeared.
He says his friendship with Harrison is on hold. "Sometimes [he’s my friend], not today. I won’t speak to him for a while!”
Regarding the free-kick, he added: "It was a bit of tiredness and a bit of him being smart, to be honest. That’s what happened. I’m gutted about it.
"He’s a smart player but sometimes the decision goes for me and sometimes the decision goes for him, and on Saturday it went for him. The friendship’s on hold for a bit.”