UnIbond Challenge Cup 1st Round
Christ Church Meadow, Belper
Tuesday, 30th September 2008, 7.45pm
Briscoe Sees Red As Rovers Go Out
This was a much better game than the card count and sendings off might suggest. If the referee had made allowances for the very greasy surface and used some common sense most of the bookings, barring the straight red card, would not have been needed.
Rovers once more succumbed to a very early goal when a throw in down the right was picked up by Andy Rushbury who in turn smashed a low shot past keeper Simon Baldwin and into the far corner.
The visitors hit back and levelled just four minutes later when Miles Chamberlain's free kick found Louis Briscoe near the far post and despite the tight angle hammered a shot past the Nailers keeper Paul Pettinger and into the far corner.
The referee started to get card happy on 33 minutes when Carl Slater slid for a tackle that supposedly caught Lee Stevenson and the official brandished his first yellow card.
Five minutes later the referee went one better when Briscoe reacted to a poor tackle by Mark Barnard who had been niggling the striker from the start of the game. Unfortunately, instead of keeping cool Briscoe kicked out and gave referee Mr Smith no option but to show the red card. What was remarkable was that Barnard got away scott free despite pushing the striker during the fracas.
Rovers then had a mountain to climb yet again and Belper took advantage regaining the lead. From the free kick Anthony Wilson picked out Stevenson who in turn saw Ben Walker in acres of space and the frontman made no mistake slotting the ball beyond Baldwin.
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To Rovers' credit they hit back just before the break when Jamie Barrett smashed a superb shot into the top corner with Pettinger rooted to the spot.
Town should have been back in the lead just after the hour mark but Walker could only flash his shot wide when well placed.
However, five minutes later they did score. Dan Douglas was yellow carded for a tackle and from the free kick Walker managed to get on the end and knock the ball home at the far post.
Minute later the homeside should have increased their lead but substitute Richard Tracey embarrassingly fired wide of a gaping net.
Tracey almost made amends on 74 minutes when his shot on the turn was superbly saved by Baldwin.
With Rovers visibly tiring Belper increased their lead on 78 minutes when a short corner was played to James Colliver who fired past Baldwin.
Baldwin made yet another fine save to prevent the homeside from going further ahead blocking a shot from Stevenson.
The night was capped off when Douglas made a tired looking tackle which brought him his second yellow of the evening and the consequent red.
Manager's View
"It's hard to make a judgment on a game where yet again we were down to ten men quite early in the game having been a bright opening period for us.
"We got caught early giving a sloppy goal away and I was disappointed with that. But we battled back and Louis (Briscoe) scored a great goal and looked very, very sharp and was pulling them all over the place.
"I've spoken to him about it and he knows how we feel - I'm drawing a line under it and will deal with Louis privately on that particular sending off.
"I don't want it to sound like sour grapes because Belper are a good side and probably with eleven men on the pitch it would have been a stern test for us. But like Chasetown we weren't able to match up to that test because a bit of indiscipline has cost us. I'm concerned about it and I've spoken to the players about it and they'll be hit hard in their pockets. We've had four sendings off now this year. We are not a dirty side and I don't want us to get the reputation of being a dirty side but I've said to the Board that we will sort the discipline out and get back on top of it.
"We are a young side and have some good players here and we've got to know how to handle situations like that. We've spoken to Louis about it and hopefully it won't happen again.
"Myself and the Belper joint manager Andy Carney both agreed that the referee was very poor tonight. Most people who were here tonight would say the same. I'm not saying that as a losing manager Andy said it as a winning manager. I don't want to talk too much about the referee because it was all about him tonight.
"I tried to talk to him at halftime but all I will say is that he was arrogant. I asked him why he sent Louis off and he said it was for the kick and I tried to ask him about one or two other issues but he just didn't want to talk.
"Most of the referees you can approach and if you are polite in your approach to them they give you the courtesy of being polite back to you but I'm not going to lose too much sleep over him.
"It's a concern to us how we are being picked at the back. One or two players who earlier in the season did very well for us all of a sudden aren't without naming names because that's for us in the dressing room to know. I was very disappointed in the performance of two of our back three tonight and fortunately we'll have some competition for those places after Saturday.
"Jamie Hood's coming back Barry Woolley is not too far away. At the minute we are a bit stretched in that department with those two being out but on the inconsistent performances of the last couple of weeks I don't think people can complain if changes are made in that department.
"Even with only ten men on the pitch in and around the box we've got to be tighter. The third goal for example there were three players there and we've got to get tighter and make it more difficult for sides to score against us.
"Simon (Baldwin) has done well he's made some big saves tonight. He's handled well, he's kicked well and I can't have too many complaints about Simon at the moment."
