Claude Puel admitted his frustration with referee Andre Marriner after another controversial performance from the official cost Saints at White Hart Lane.

Marriner bore the brunt of a lot of Saints anger after ruling out what seemed to be a perfectly good goal from Manolo Gabbiadini in the opening stages of the EFL Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley.

He followed it up at Tottenham by handing Spurs a debateable spot kick as Dele Alli went down under the challenge of Steven Davis while Saints were down to ten men, with the officials having failed to get a stripped and ready Shane Long onto the pitch with Manolo Gabbiadini having gone off injured.

Marriner then turned down strong looking Saints appeals for a penalty of their own as Dusan Tadic was felled in the box by Ben Davies.

Puel felt that, in a game of fine margins, the issues were the difference between the teams.

He said: “I think it’s the same. If the referee gives the penalty in this first action he needs to give a penalty also for us.

“All the details can do the difference of this game because both teams were at the same level, with quality.

“It was difficult for the two teams to find the good opportunities.

“Every team tried to play a good football and without a lot of opportunities every detail was important on this game.

“I think we stayed with a good attitude, a good spirit, and we come back in the second half with a good decision and good play and we come back quick with this first goal.

“It’s a disappointment of course because I think we deserved a draw.”

Particularly strange was the decision not to allow Long onto the field after Gabbiadini had already gone off injured.

It appeared that Long was stripped and ready to go, as he was stood alongside fourth official Kevin Friend, who had the board with him on the halfway line in anticipation of making the change.

However, Marriner allowed play to restart on the other side of the pitch without Long on, with the Republic of Ireland striker clearly fuming and making his feelings known on the touchline.

He could only watch in frustration as ten man Saints failed to clear under Tottenham pressure and then gave away the spot kick which was converted by Alli to make it 2-0.

“I didn’t understand because Shane was ready,” insisted Puel.

“He can play and all the details of the game because I think it was a good game.

“For me it was a high level and quality on the pitch and all the details were very very important in this game.

“This is an important detail.”

Puel was asked whether he was sick of the sight of Marriner and gave a chuckle before saying: “I prefer to say nothing.

“All the details were very important and the details were not for us, like against Manchester.”