However, even Liverpool boss Gerald Houllier priased Messias on having the courage to reverse his decision on the penalty incident.
Messias said: "A lot was going through my head after I saw Linvoy Primus jump up for the ball with Milan Baros in front of him.
"One player's black and the other player's white, so I should have got it right straight away. But I think I blew too early and gave the penalty too quickly.
"As the Portsmouth players were complaining I kept replaying the incident in my mind.
"And after about five or 10 seconds I started to think I might have made a mistake and that Baros had handled it. I realised pretty early on I had got it wrong.
"I went over and spoke to my assistant referee, but he said he wasn't sure. But there was sufficient doubt in my mind to think I had made a mistake.
"So regardless of what people might have said, I thought it was best, in the spirit of the game, to get it right and change my decision."