Pompey a pressure game for Mick

Frustrated Wolves boss Mick McCarthy already believes Saturday's clash with rock-bottom Portsmouth is now a "pressure game" in the Premier League survival battle.

The manager also insisted referee Lee Mason got two major decisions wrong in yesterday's 5-2 defeat at Sunderland, a result which heavily flattered the hosts.

Now Pompey come to Molineux this Saturday without a point this season after losing 1-0 to Everton on Saturday and McCarthy believes it's a vital clash in the survival rivals' 'mini-league.'

He said: "Portsmouth at home was always going to be a pressure game. They haven't won for seven games – I wish they had!

"If we'd have won yesterday would it have lessened the pressure for the Portsmouth game? No chance.

"They played well against Everton. But I won't be losing any sleep this week though."

McCarthy was speaking after Mason awarded Sunderland their first penalty, when Segundo Castillo got a foot to the ball in his challenge on Darren Bent.

And the manager was equally annoyed when the man in black waved 'play on' when Kevin Doyle was sent sprawling by Michael Turner in an aerial challenge, with the score at 1-0 to the hosts.

He said: "I thought the first penalty was harsh. Castillo got his foot on the ball and their man fell over. I don't think the referee had a great view of it.

"He saw him fall over and thought it was a penalty. That wasn't fair on us.

"The second one was a 'stone-waller'. I think we should have had a penalty. I don't know when barging someone in the back is not a penalty.

"If it had gone to 1-1, I might have fancied us because we'd had most of the game at that point."

McCarthy was pleased with Michael Kightly, who came on at half-time for an enterprising 45 minutes, and strikers And Keogh and Kevin Doyle, who scored for the second successive game.

The manager added: "It was another positive change which enabled us to go 4-4-2 with two wingers. Doyle and Keogh were terrific. Our strikers were different class."