Paul Hurst takes aim after Shrewsbury Town's defeat at Portsmouth

Pompey ran out comfortable 3-1 winners in the end on the South Coast despite a spirited display from Salop against the runaway league leaders.

A Chey Dunkley own goal gave the home side the lead after just two minutes until Jordan Shipley levelled the score just before the half-hour mark.

But Portsmouth's second goal came from the penalty spot after Carl Winchester was adjudged to have fouled Kusini Yengi in the box.

And Paul Hurst was incredibly frustrated by Breakspear's decision to point to the spot.

He said: "Ultimately it is a terrible decision, it really is.

"No surprise to me,. I promise you that wouldn't have gone at the other end. I don't know they end up telling you to calm down and things like that but they don't get it. They just don't get it and it is simply just not good enough.

"He is an experienced referee that was an easy decision, and he has got it wrong."

It was a decent performance from Town, who at 2-1 down, had several opportunities to get back in the game.

Tom Flanagan went close with a header before Dan Udoh missed a one-on-one moments later, but chances of a comeback were ruled out when Colby Bishop scored 13 minutes from time.

And Hurst said the moments they had in the game which they did not take proved costly in the end.

"You have to take your chances," he added.

"I think we – in terms of a gameplan - concede really early, and the temptation is to rip that up.

"But we stuck with it. I think that was important for a period to make sure we didn't concede again.

"And then we gradually grew into the game a little bit.

"As you said, we scored a good goal.

"Marko wasn't overly worked, and that's the disappointment that we've conceded three goals.

"I wasn't stood on the side thinking we're going to get blown away. That may enter your head at the start of the week when going to play top of the league, with good players and a good team.

"I don't think they reached the heights they would have wanted to from speaking to one of their staff, but the important thing from their point of view is that they won the game."

"For us, it feels like a missed opportunity. It genuinely felt like we could get something from that game because of how it played out on the day.

"And of course, a very soft penalty – that's the politest way I can put it - to see us go in at half-time trailing when the crowd were just starting to have murmurs.

"Let's be right and of course, it did happen, but they will have all turned up today expecting a pretty easy win."