A chant of “f*ck the EFL” was sung with fans debating a referee’s decision at Portsmouth v Reading on Tuesday night.
The commentator is heard saying: “Well that’s been blocked, and surely Killip has handled the ball, now what is the referee going to call here? He’s given a free kick. Portsmouth are saying it hit the arm of O’Mahony. Very difficult to see where it hit on O’Mahony. Killip may say I saw it hit his arm, that’s why I handled it.”
O’Mahony shows the referee the bottom side of his shirt, to try and prove the ball didn’t strike his arm. Reading fans in the away end erupted with calls of “f*ck the EFL”. Did the referee make the right decision? Nonetheless, despite a late goal from Pompey, Reading held on for the win. But the video has gone viral…
Express FM‘s @DavidAAHowes writes: “There was a shout for a red card, when Ben Killip went to smash the ball up the pitch where it deflected off ex-Blues loanee Mark O’Mahony, to which Killip then picked the ball up from outside the 18-yard box, but referee Farai Hallam oddly gave the advantage Portsmouth’s way for handball from O’Mahony.”
The News, Portsmouth, writer Jordan Cross, said: “Keeper kicks the ball at O’Mahony and then handles the ball but he gets the free-kick! Lucky!”
Footage of it was uploaded onto social media, with it going on to get nearly 6,000 likes, and nearly a million views on Twitter alone.
HOW HAS THE REF GIVEN A FREE KICK TO THE KEEPER?!😭😭😭
HE’S JUST CAUGHT THE BALL OUTSIDE THE BOX😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/adgtQaWGhT
— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) August 12, 2025
The game saw Reading defeat Portsmouth 2-1 in the first round of the Carabao Cup, with Andre Garcia and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan scoring in the first half for Reading.
Garcia netted after a double save by Portsmouth’s goalkeeper Ben Killip, and Ehibhatiomhan doubling the lead shortly after.
Despite a late consolation header from Portsmouth’s Olutayo Singerr in injury time, Reading held on to progress through.
Pompey (4-2-3-1): Killip; Swanson, Matthews, Bowat (Poole 61), Farrell; Le Roux (Segečić 70), Swift (c) (Dozzell 46); Devlin, Kosznovszky (Singerr 70), Minhyeok; Waddingham (Bianchini 61)
Goals: Singerr 90+3
Booked: Le Roux, Poole
Subs not used: Archer, Ani, Thomas, Chioma
Reading (4-3-3): Stevens; Ahmed, Stickland (c), Burns, Ryan; Rushesha (Savage 64), Spencer (Fraser 72), Doyle (Elliott 64); Camará, Ehibhatiomhan (O’Mahony 67), Garcia (Kyerewaa 64)
Goals: Garcia 34, Ehibhatiomhan 38
Booked: Fraser, Ryan
Subs not used: Pereira, Abrefa, Jacob, Okine-Peters
Referee: Farai Hallam
Attendance: 14,525 (1,040 away fans)
Pompey boss John Mousinho said to the club website: “It was a poor performance and obviously a poor result to go with it – we got what we deserved.
“There just wasn’t enough from us and that’s really disappointing. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb.
“We made a lot of changes, but I look at the 11 players that I put out and still expect a lot more from them.
“I thought we went under after conceding the first goal and that’s unacceptable. Heads dropped and we could have fallen even further behind.
“We want to have selection headaches going into the weekend and it was a chance for some guys to show what they’re capable of.
“There were some bright moments from Luke Le Roux and Márk Kosznovszky on their debuts and it was nice to see Ibane Bowat get through 60 minutes after such a long time out.
“The best moment of the night from our perspective, though, was seeing Tayo score on his debut. It’s pleasing to watch him make such an impact.
“We shouldn’t let the disappointment of going out of the cup sour what was a really special moment for him.”
Reading’s Noe Hunt said, per Reading Chronicle: “I’m so pleased for the boys, the club and the fans that came down.
“There are a couple of people I need to mention because we lost a few people over the last few weeks and we’re a close-knit group. Our kitman, Dickie, his father Roger passed away last week. He was picked up today to go to the crematorium, but he was here with us.
“Eddie Dove, a patron of the club, passed away two or three weeks ago. He was one I remember being on the bus with us going to away games and he was such a lovely man.
“You have Kevin Couhig, Rob’s brother, who passed away three or four weeks ago for a very sad and difficult time for Rob. That, tonight, was for them.
“We were really good- I’m not going to try and dress it up. They’re a good side with good players. I don’t think we gave them a moment on the ball to settle, a big contrast to three weeks ago when we played them.
“I thought our boys were fantastic, the energy from the lads was really there. Another notch up from Saturday for energy, intensity and the way we want to press together. It was a pleasing result.
“I don’t see anything on social media but for the boys it will mean a lot. We scored a couple of goals away from home at a difficult place to come, and they’re in there probably disappointed that we didn’t get a couple more. It shows you the mentality of the group, which is great. Everyone loves the first win of the season and hopefully we can bring it into Saturday.”
Here’s how Twitter users reacted after a c chant of “f*ck the EFL” was sung with fans debating a referee’s decision at Portsmouth v Reading…
@Craig91E: Lots of people think from the video it’s handball by O’Mahoney. The clear giveaway that it wasn’t is that the goalkeeper carries on by throwing it out to his defender. He obviously thinks he’s inside his box and nothing happened.
@disMyBurnerGuys: two things can be the same, it hits his hand which is in natural position since he jumping, rebounded to the goalie who thought he was still in his box and he continue playing because why? the striker hand was in natural position. Ref blew why because it was unfair advantage
@MartinSwan13: What has the ref given there? A free kick to pompey for charging down a kick during open play??????
@LouisianaRoyals: Yes exactly that. Stating that the Reading player handled it, when infact it was a block within the body shape, and the Pompey goalkeeper caught the ball outside his box. Baffling
@LD5931895015311: Probably because the attacker blocks it with his arm……………
@philipjones09: ‘it hit the attackers arm’……… yet look at the pompey players, none of them claim handball. Also, the attackers arm is in a natural position and tucked into his body. He didnt stretch it out. But no one understands the handball laws anymore. The change weekly!
@BLS5432: Example 70000 of refs bottling decisions where attackers have caught a defender or goalkeeper out for nothing to happen. It’s obscene how many refs just let defenders or GKs dive because they lose the ball in a dodgy position and now this? What’s the point in pressing?
@FPL_Chambo: Handball offence when blocking the kick?
@MIKEAVFC69: Are you being serious?? The ref clearly signals it’s a freekick for handball as he runs towards the keeper.
@uppading: It’s against Reading that’s why 👍
@DanMcClumpha1: The officiating in general for the game was way below par the Lino on the north stand was clueless as well as the referee some awful decisions made and a few missed… but a very common thing in the game nowadays
@Alex_Shep_Urzz: Talk about O’Mahony needing one to go in off his backside, it nearly just happened. Robbed. Keeper can’t belief his luck there. He looks guilty as. #ReadingFC
