READING FC WOMEN’S manager was left unimpressed with the match officials after the Royals’ defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Royals thought they had taken the lead in the first-half through Deanna Cooper, only to be denied by the offside flag.
However, replays showed that Cooper was in fact a few yards onside which left Reading hard done by after a mistake from the officials.
Brighton took the points with goals from Lee Guem-Min and Katie Robinson, while Charlie Wellings scored her first goal for the club with a consolation strike in stoppage time.
“We’re disappointed to not come away with anything as I think the referees have cost us the game,” said Chambers.
“We watched our goal back, Cooper is three yards onside.
“It’s something we worked on in training yesterday, it’s worked and then to have it taken away from us, it’s not good enough.
“We have the highest level of women’s football, yet the level of the officials are not good enough, nowhere good enough.”
Chambers was left to rue Reading’s missed chances in the second-half which saw them fall to defeat for the second consecutive match.
She continued: “Regardless, we created more than enough chances to win and I said that to the girls.
“But the moment the offside happened, it created a different game.
“When you’re one nil up you get a boost, momentum, then from there who knows what can happen.
“Unfortunately, we’re now looking at another loss, and if this (officiating) isn’t addressed, it’s going to start costing managers jobs.
“If the decision was marginal I could perhaps come to accept it, but in this instance we’re talking about a good few yards.”
Chambers was impressed with her team’s response in the second-half and praised her side.
“Even though we went a goal behind, we came out fighting in the second and created more than enough.
“So of course we hold our hands up and say even though the big decisions went against us, we had the game in our own hands but we lacked a bit of clinical edge when we needed it.
“But I truly believe that free-kick in the first half cost us the game.”
