Otterbourne Football Club First Team Match Reports

Saturday 12th September 2009: AFC Stoneham 0 Otterbourne 0

I felt today that the referee was put under un-due pressure when having to manage a local derby by having an assessor at the game yesterday.

By booking someone in the first thirty seconds which left the referee with nowhere to go and so it turned out. The player concerned Chris Knight should have been warned first in my opinion and if it happened again been booked.

At the start of the second half he was fouled and as he went to get up the Stoneham player punched him, what did the referee do? He sent off Chris Knight with a second yellow and only booked the Stoneham player, very strange decision. We were down to ten men and Stoneham seemed to be able to kick and foul my team without the book coming out?

Near the end another of my players Andy Kerr was fouled as he was about to break away and foolishly pushed the Stoneham played and was suitably sent off, Stoneham player booked.

We managed to hold out for a nil – nil draw, deservedly in my opinion as we had to battle to stay in it and with ten players we were the better side and with nine defended doggedly.