Slaven Bilic said his initial reaction when referee Steve Martin ruled out what would have been a third goal for Watford was that keeper Joe Lumley had convinced the linesman to put his flag up.

Matheus Martins shot from a Hasane Kamara cross and the ball took a deflection on its way past Lumley, who had Britt Assombalonga between him and the ball.

Initially referee Mr Martin gave the goal and the Watford players went off to celebrate. In the meantime Lumley ran to the touchline to confront the linesman who then, seemingly as he was talking to the referee using their headsets, raised his flag.

“I spoke to the referee and he said that Britt Assombalonga was in the view of the goalkeeper,” said Bilic.

“What it looked like was the linesman hadn’t raised his flag and then the goalkeeper may have gone and told him it was offside. But the referee said he and the linesman communicated, and he felt it was clear that Assombalonga was in front of the goalkeeper in the line of the ball, and that it was offside.

“They said the goalkeeper did not have any influence on their decision. On the replay you couldn’t see if he raised his flag or not. He told me he did.

“I saw the goal, and then I saw the goalkeeper running. The goal was given. The goal had been given and in this league there is no VAR. Despite the complaints of the goalie, their players, their manager and the crowd, the goal had been given.

“But they told me what they told me and from their point of view it sounds logical.

“The linesman didn’t give it because although he saw he was offside he wasn’t sure if Britt was in the line of the goalkeeper. The referee was sure he was, and decided to disallow it.

“It’s not clear if he touched the ball. I don’t think he did. But it was offside. I can’t argue. I’m not happy but they didn’t make it up.

“Even with VAR, I have seen many of those goals given. And it was a key moment of the game: that moment and the penalty.”

The award of the penalty which got Reading back into the game came after Craig Cathcart and Shane Long tangled in the box as they chased a through ball.

Long went down instantly and referee Mr Martin pointed to the spot.

“The penalty was cheap,” said Bilic. “Shane Long went down too early but I have seen them given.

“We should have reacted in a more clever way because Shane was going nowhere. He was going away from goal, so don’t give him a chance to go down.”

Right at the end Watford picked up yellow cards for Joao Pedro and Hamza Choudhury after the Brazilian had landed a heavy tackle which then led to a brawl, started by several Reading players rushing towards Pedro.

“They should have got a yellow also,” said Bilic.

“I said that to the referee afterwards and he said he can’t see everything. Fair enough, but he saw enough to book our two players.

“It wouldn’t have affected the game as it was that late, but I don’t know how their player didn’t get booked. It was a bad tackle from Joao, but it was their player who started the brawl.”