Boss Crabb unhappy at ref's call (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Boss Crabb unhappy at ref's call

8:30am Thursday 4th February 2010

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BRIDPORT Thirds’ boss Steve Crabb was left perplexed following the abandonment of his side’s tumultuous home clash with FC WindowMan.

The referee decided to terminate proceedings with just eight minutes of normal time to go after a fracas had broken out between Luke Hayter and a visiting player.

A melee ensued as others became embroiled in unsavoury scenes, before a member of WindowMan’s backroom staff ran on to the pitch.

At that point the officials called a halt to this Dorset League Division Three match – with the visitors leading 2-1 – and it remains to be seen whether the result will stand.

Crabb, who was quick to downplay the seriousness of the flashpoint, describing it as a “minor scuffle”, reckoned the referee had overreacted by abandoning the contest, which descended into farce.

He explained that many of those involved were trying only to defuse the situation, and not to inflame it as the officials perhaps had believed.

“A minor scuffle had broken out and as soon as a member of the WindowMan bench came on the referee turned round and said he was abandoning the match,” Crabb said.

“Sam Day came in and tried to break it up and then someone else got involved. No punches were thrown and to me the decision to call off the game was an overreaction.

“If the referee was going to do anything, he should have sent off the two players who triggered the incident and let the game carry on.”

Two minutes prior to the abandonment, the evergreen Mark Lock headed home to halve the arrears after WindownMan had built a two-goal half-time lead at St Mary’s.

Robin Jones had earlier been denied a goal by the offside flag as the Bees camped themselves in the visitors’ half throughout the second period.

Crabb added he was confident that his charges would have mustered an equaliser had the match gone the distance. Instead, both sides will await the referee’s report to see if the game will have to be replayed.

The Bees, who have dropped one place to third, host table-topping Gillingham Town this Saturday (2pm).

Bees Thirds: Meech, L Hayter, Battrick (M Lock 75), Hitchcock, Day, J Legg (R Jones 46), A Boyer, David, Knott, Scalabrino, Scovell (Williams 46).

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