Coppell's patience tested to the limit as Reading and Blackburn draw a blank

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Having watched Mark Clattenburg dish out 10 cards on Saturday, including a red to his midfielder Marek Matejovsky, Coppell claimed he did not even know who Lord Triesman was, let alone about the existence of the respect for referees campaign.

Clattenburg's performance was undoubtedly poor, as was that of his assistant David Bryan.

But listening to Coppell's defence of his players and coaching staff after this drab draw, it was difficult not to recall Roy Keane's observations about managerial hypocrisy.

Nicky Shorey picked up a booking for dissent after complaining to Bryan and his failure to flag when Zurab Khizanishvili went close, despite five Blackburn players being offside, prompted angry rebukes from Reading assistants Wally Downes and Kevin Dillon.

"My opinion is that the referee is right when he is wrong," said Coppell. "But in the heat of battle, players play with passion. If they have seen blatant poor officiating then questions have got to be asked.

"We should just let it go. But there are an awful lot of people who lose jobs after relegation and we have a responsibility to try to protect our own people."

Mark Hughes called for clarification from the FA on the subject of dissent.

"We need a statement from the FA or Professional Game Officials so that everybody is aware of where we stand," he said.

Indeed, to suggest the game was bad tempered would be akin to describing it as a thriller, though Marcus Hahnemann, who kept his 100th clean sheet in English football, tipped over a Morten Gamst Pedersen 25-yard free-kick and was equally comfortable denying David Bentley from a similar distance after the break.

Clattenburg was right to book Matejovsky for catching David Dunn, but the second yellow for a block on Jason Roberts looked harsh.

Nevertheless, down to 10 men Reading came close to snatching the three points but Stephen Hunt embarrassingly failed to make contact with substitute Shane Long's cross with the goal at his mercy.