UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 6th December 2008, 3.00pm
Lucky Nailers!
This game was spoiled by a disgraceful display of officiating that left supporters, management and players frustrated.
Manager Gary Norton gave John Shales his debut against local rivals Belper Town and included Jamie Barrett who had recovered from his hamstring injury. Oliver Hancock was missing due to illness.
Belper started strongly as was expected forcing an early corner. Ryan Hindley swung over the flag kick and Anthony Wilson unmarked could only head wide.
On 14 minutes Belper keeper Paul Pettinger missed a cross from Jordi Gough but the ball just eluded Kevin Lock at the far post.
Pettinger then did well to hold on to Liam Hebberd's low drive but the pressure was coming from the visitors making Rovers defend for large parts of the game.
Another good chance went begging when the wasteful Wilson could only put his header, from Hindley's corner, over the bar when well placed.
Wilson was having a bad day at the office as once more he couldn't capitalise on a good move by his team mates when he had time and space to pick his spot but put yet another header embarrassingly wide of the mark.
Rovers' keeper Simon Baldwin needed to be on his toes minutes later when Lee Stevenson rifled in a long-range shot that was tipped over the bar.
The home side did have one decent chance just before halftime when Lee Fell's cross picked out Carl Timms who headed the ball straight inot the midriff of Pettinger.
Rovers came out for the second half looking more determined with Timms shooting wide after just five minutes and they had a good penalty shot turned down by referee Mr Maton after Hebberd was clattered just inside the area.
On 56 minutes Fell was inches from giving Rovers the lead when he hit a superb volley that looked destined for the top corner but the ball curled just wide with Pettinger beaten.
Belper's Mark Barnard then tested Baldwin with a low free kick that the keeper did well to hold at the foot of a post.
The solitary goal came on 65 minutes in somewhat fortunate circumstances. A 50-50 challenge just inside Rovers half saw the ball squeeze out to Walker standing in an offside position. With neither the referee or his assistant anywhere near the play the action was allowed to carry on and Walker, correctly playing to the whistle, ran into the area and slotted the ball past Baldwin.
Five minutes later Baldwin did well to tip over a solid header from Stevenson but the game was spoilt when Hebberd received his second yellow card and sent off by the referee. Bizarrely, the referee had already booked Hebberd for handling, although it was as a result of being scythed down by a Belper player, and now showed a second yellow when a straight red was warranted alleging that Hebberd had caught Richard Haigh in the throat with his arm. Disappointingly the inconsistency of the referee saw him miss a similar foul on Rovers' Jamie Barrett much to the annoyance of the Moat Ground faithful.
What should have been a good hard fought local derby ended with some of the visiting players disappointingly going down as if pole axed with nearly every tackle and the referee and his assistants being booed loudly as they left the field.
Manager's View
"I thought the first half was pretty even but for a couple of good chances they had. Probably they should have been taken.
"I thought it was a fairly good first half - we gave as good as we got and played some decent stuff at times as well.
"I thought John Shales settled fairly well on that left hand side and their were some good performances. It was nice to see Jamie Barrett in there steadying things; you could see what a quality player he is.
"Overall as a back four I was quite pleased there were just some three quarter chances that on another day would have gone in and it's a different scenario at half time but we were pleased to get in there at half tine nil-nil.
"I didn't think Liam Hebberd's yellow card for persistent fouling in the first half was justified - absolutely not! We'll talk about that shortly, the ineptitude of the officials. Liam's actually been fouled himself and then as he's gone over he's got a hand on the ball and the referee as booked him but it should have been a foul for us but he's (the referee) hasn't seen anything all day so I'm not going to hold that against him. It was pretty costly in the second half.
"We had some good chances around the halftime mark from Carl Timms and Lee Fell and Kev Lock's got into one or two good positions as well. I was a bit disappointed in Kev's performance today. He's worked hard but the quality in and around the penalty area wasn't quite there today for Kev but he'll keep working, he'll keep training and he'll keep trying to get it right.
"He got into one or two good positions that he either could have gone and got a shot off or maybe set something up so yes we had some half chances today.
"Everyone in the ground thought that Lee Fell's shot was in, His technique taking that volley was superb but unfortunately it flashed the wrong side of the post, it would have been a great goal.
"Their goal was harsh to be honest. I was worrying around the seventy minute mark that the lack of fitness would start to show but credit to the lads they kept going and it was just unfortunate that they managed to find that bit of quality to nudge ahead and they'll agree that at half time we weren't going to let them have anything for free and we were going to be difficult to break down and Danny (Hudson) will be mightily relieved that they've got the three points because obviously they need them far more than we do for their play-off push but they had to earn them.
"For their goal their player looked offside but it's difficult for us to say he was off from the halfway point. I shouted myself for the ball that was played in behind and certainly talking to one or two as we were coming off they felt he was a yard or two offside but as I've said the officials have not been the best today and it's not been given and it's cost us.
"It's difficult to criticise, we all do our jobs but to honest there are not many times I've said this but I said to the referee there that that was one or the worst performances I've seen. He's booked their guy in injury time for something innocuous, he's booked Liam (Hebberd) for something innocuous and he's missed everything in between.
"In fact thirty seconds before Liam's got done for an alleged elbow, incidentally if it was an elbow it's a straight red not a second yellow, Anthony Wilson's gone flying into Martyn Rowntree with an elbow and Andy Carney their gaffer who's an honest enough bloke knows that's a flaw in Anthony's game that he leads with his elbow and the referee chose not to do nothing about it. The ball's gone up to the other end and Liam's supposedly caught their guy, who I hope is okay, it wasn't a malicious elbow and caught him in the face. Their bench said he swung an elbow and to be honest both me and Andy (Carney) was looking up towards Anthony Wilson to see if anything was developing between him and Martyn (Rowntree) because the referee just missed everything. I'd consider jacking it all in if I performed like (the referee) that every Saturday.
"There was an assessor in the stand so that will be an interesting conversation. We asked the referee to have a word with the referee at halftime in all honesty. You don't like to stand here after a game and criticise the officials because it takes the gloss of what was a fantastic battling performance from the lads but I'm embarrassed for the referee today, I really am for both sides.
"He's let a good game of football turn into a little bit of a niggley affair which it didn't deserve to be honest by missing what he did.
"Let's not take the credit from the guys, we've lost the game today but if they give us that for the rest of the season, that sort of effort, and there were some quality football played today as well, we're not going to be far wrong.
"People haven't given us enough credit for getting a set of players like that together to play for free. At the end of the game we had two Youth Team on there, three Reserve Team players and several lads who we've managed to gather together and the likes of Jordi Gough, Jamie (Barrett) and Locky (Kev Lock) who've stayed which we are very grateful for. And the likes of Paul Edwards who was working today and Oliver Hancock who was ill so although we've lost the game there's lots of positives. It's frustrating but we've just got to keep going.
"We've played three games now since the other lads left and lost them all but I think we've deserved more from the nine points available. In every game - the Stocksbridge game we were in it right until the end. Certainly the Goole game last week, Andy (Carney) spoke to Goole's manager and told him it wouldn't be an easy game.
"Hopefully, if we can keep on putting in these sorts of performances - a, our luck will turn and we'll get some results which I've been saying this week that I expect us to surprise a few people,
"A few teams will come here with a little bit of respect for us knowing that they haven't just got to turn up to earn the three points.
"Anthony (Hemmings) has had very little time on the training to work with the lads pitch and get them organised. That's our primary goal because if you're organised at this level you've got half a chance. With the time he's had he's used it wisely. We've done some fitness training and some organisational work and we've yet to have all of the guys together at the same time. We're desperate to do that but obviously we've got a couple of guys who can't drive, we've got a couple of guys working away and it's very difficult to get all the guys together and to do it for nothing without expenses.
"It's frustrating standing here again having lost the game perhaps should have got something out of it but we've got to go to Leek next week. I've just said to the lads, we've had three home games and we've got to make sure to go away from home and put in solid performances like this and we'll nick one or two results.
"A couple of games around Christmas I wouldn't mind nicking! That would be nice. I'm very much looking forward to the Shepshed games as Lee has got them playing very, very well there. He's got some good signings there and I think we just pipped them to the fair play award; I'd rather have picked up all three points up on Boxing Day or New Year. I'm sure they're looking forward to it and I hope we can perform how we have been doing and make a game of it for them.
