JUSTIN Edinburgh and counterpart Andy Awford were at loggerheads over the performance of referee Michael Bull after the Exiles’ 1-0 win over Portsmouth.

Mr Bull was at the centre of things in an extremely close encounter, seemingly ruling out Newport’s winner for offside before overruling his assistant and awarding the goal after lengthy consultation that incensed the visitors.

Portsmouth were also denied two possible penalty claims either side of the interval, but Justin Edinburgh felt the referee got the key decision right regarding Mark Byrne’s winner midway through the second half.

Byrne’s cross crept in at the far post as Aaron O’Connor looked to get a touch.

“Today we had to dig in and get a result, it was a competitive game that needed to be seen out and credit to Portsmouth, both sides went head-to-head and there wasn’t much room for moving the ball, it was a battle,” Edinburgh explained.

“I didn’t think we were below our best and it is massive, we’ve ground out the win and taken six points off of Portsmouth who are the biggest club in this league.

“To do that is a massive achievement for a club like us. We had to dig deep and work hard and will do so every week. It’s a massive achievement.

“I don’t feel we had any luck with our goal, the laws being the law, it has to stand. Aaron O’Connor wasn’t in the eye of the goalkeeper. When I played the game it was offside, but now it isn’t and credit to the referee for staying strong and making the correct decision.”

However, Awford clearly disagreed.

“It’s difficult to take. I’m as honest as the day is long and if the players don’t do enough they get a kick up the backside, but they did enough today,” he said.

“I’ve got to be careful what I say because I don’t want to get fined, but we’ve been done today by something out of our hands which is disappointing.

“There should have been two penalties, the first on Jed Wallace looks a stonewall penalty and there was a handball late on.

“At the time I thought it was handball and seven or eight of our boys are appealing for it, and that looked stonewall as well, we deserved something today.

“We had 17 shots compared to their eight, you don’t always get what you deserve and today we didn’t.”