UniBond League Division One South
Llanelian Road, Colwyn Bay
Saturday, 26th January 2008, 3.00pm
Unlucky Rovers Lose At The Bay
Gresley Rovers must be wondering when they will get a break from unfortunate decisions and actions of the match officials.
This time it was an 'assist' from referee Mr Bartlett that handed Colwyn Bay their first goal.
Rovers had the better of the chances in the first 15 minutes with David Blenkinsopp going close on 6 minutes to keeping his incredible scoring run going with a couple of decent chances.
Minutes later a good move saw Shaun Ridgway's cross layed back by Stefan Marshall for Jordan Lambert but his shot was deflected away for a corner.
Then a cross from the left by Lambert was narrowly headed over the bar by Marshall.
However, for the second game running, the game was turned with the help of the referee.
Bay were awarded a free kick that was slung into the Rovers area and was forcibly cleared by a defender only for the ball to hit the official full in the face. Mr Bartlett staggered and then fell and a number of players on both sides stopped in their tracks.
The ball bounced to Neil Black who fed the ball through to Martin Crowder who was a yard offside and his shot went across keeper David Clarke, who was watching the referee and expecting the game to stop, and into the far corner of the net.
With the referee not knowing what day it was and having to have lengthy treatment the Rovers players were certain the goal would not be allowed. However, after treatment and a talk with his assistant the referee unbelievably pointed to the centre and awarded the goal much to the anger of visiting players and management.
Rovers were justifiably aggrieved and failed to regain their composure, allowing Bay to make a couple of further good chances to increase their lead.
Joe Fowler made a good run into the box only to fire high over the bar and Black putting his lob just over the bar.
On 34 minutes the homeside did score this time from the spot after Rovers keeper brought John Lawless down on the bye-line giving the referee no option but to award the penalty - Lawless converted.
Within 10 minutes of the start of the second period both sides were down to ten men.
A long throw in from Rovers' Leigh Platnauer was contested by Jamie Hood and Bay's Chris Taylor at the near post. Taylor clearly pushed Hood over but the referee thought both were to blame and showed the red card to both players.
Danny Blair, who was having the best game of any Rovers players, flew down the left and picked out Chris Sleath who hit a first time shot from the edge of the area that beat Bay's keeper Jamie Spear and gave the visitors a hope of grabbing at least a point.
Unfortunately Rovers failed to apply any further pressure on the Bay goal and the home side could have added to their tally but for the superb saves from Clarke denying Fowler and Lawless in the final quarter of the game.
Manager's View
"With regard to the opening goal, the referee had been knocked into next week to be fair. He had played a great ball through to a Colwyn Bay player in an offside position who, when some players from both sides had stopped playing, has done the right thing, carried on and stuck the ball in the net.
"My argument was that the referee was not watching play when the goal went in. To be fair to him, he was very apologetic at half time and technically there was nothing we could do about the decision.
"We then lost our heads and shot ourselves in the foot with the penalty. My keeper has no need to challenge for the ball in the position the lad was in, but he did, brought him down and we are two-nil down.
"With Hoody's (Jamie Hood) sending off I didn't see an awful lot of it from where I was. I saw Hoody go down and it seemed that he had got up, and to his credit, no retaliation and I was surprised when I saw the referee flash two red cards.
"The referee has said he sent Jamie off for flicking out with a foot while on the floor and I have some differing reports from people who were a little closer to the incident.
"After that, the lads showed a bit of character and pulled a goal back, but overall I was a little disappointed with our quality in the final third and we just couldn't find the equaliser.
"In the end, two massive refereeing incidents - I won't say decisions - have been turning points of the game.
"We now have a big game at Home to Retford next week and we will be looking to get back on track after two straight defeats."
