Blackpool boss Simon Grayson insisted that referee Jarnail Singh cost his side the points in a 1-0 Coca-Cola Championship defeat at Reading.

With Reading ahead through Ivan Ingimarsson’s goal, Grayson saw Singh send midfielder Lee Hendrie off after 33 minutes and then deny his side what he thought was a penalty when Stephen Hunt blocked a late Keith Southern volley.

Grayson was sent to the stands by Singh late on for his protests and the former Aston Villa defender was disappointed to come away with nothing.

He said: “We knew it was going to be difficult but we felt that throughout the game we always had a chance.

”We worked hard to stay in the game but one or two things have contrived against us to deny us that.

”Whether it was a sending-off or not I’m not sure but the ref was quick to make that decision.

”We were always going to be on the back foot then and maybe we could have nicked something because we were denied a stonewall penalty.

”Stephen Hunt has caught it with both hands and how the ref and the linesman have not seen it when they were quick to see everything else all night is beyond me.

”I got warned once for querying the linesman when he waited for the referee to make a decision for him and then I appealed the decision for the penalty.

”I never swore or got in anyone’s face but I was backing my players.

”Because we’re small town Blackpool people think we don’t deserve to get results at places like this but they deserved better.”

Hendrie will now serve a three-match ban and with his loan from Sheffield United due to expire on New Year’s Day and Grayson admitted that he may have played his last game for the club.

He said: “He’ll have a decent Christmas now, I’m sure his missus will be glad to have him at home.

”But he’s done well for us and we’ll see where that takes us come January.”