8-man Nairn walk off the pitch with their pride intact after 3 red cards, countless yellows and two penalties awarded against them. I can't remember a worse performance from a referee at Station Park. You need conformation? Ask the two bus loads of Buckie fans, it really is incredible when you have opposition fans sympathising with the way the referee dealt with the home team.
On the bright side all the pies sold out but a potentially great game between two fluid attacking sides was reduced to the bizarre and will not be remembered for the performance of the many star quality players on the park. What was the man in black thinking of? Please don't ever come back!
The full details available on highlandleague.net.
UPDATE: view from a 'Station Parker'
There's no doubt the refereeing left a lot to be desired and I am convinced the injustice of that early penalty was a contributory factor to Nairn loss of discipline.
The ref could only award a penalty and send Brian Macleod off for deliberate handling. It was clear to most fans that he simply threw his body between the ball and goal - what any defender worth his salt would do. If the referee wants to find out why there was such an angry reaction form players and fans he need only look at the photo in today's Sunday Mail which captured the moment perfectly. Macleod had his back to the ball. It appears to have struck the upper part of his arm which was by his side - absolutely no intent at all and that's what the crowd saw. It shouldn't even have been a penalty let alone a sending off.
The game was littered with bad refereeing decisions but the next key moment for Nairn came long after they equalised when Willie Barron was booked. He won the ball brilliantly but one of the Buckie lads went down and it was another bad call by the ref to give the foul. This incensed Nairn's captain who was booked then later sent off when he lost it after Zander Diamond went down in the box for Buckie's second penalty. The reporter on Highland League.com called this one correctly in his on-line report. He described it as a soft award. I was yards away from it on the touchline and there was no contact from Main. Hind reacted and he got his marching orders.
Fair play to Nairn for a battling performance. They deserved their point and Ridgers was outstanding in goal. Let's hope it gives him a confidence boost and we see more of that kind of form from him. Station Parker.
The ref could only award a penalty and send Brian Macleod off for deliberate handling. It was clear to most fans that he simply threw his body between the ball and goal - what any defender worth his salt would do. If the referee wants to find out why there was such an angry reaction form players and fans he need only look at the photo in today's Sunday Mail which captured the moment perfectly. Macleod had his back to the ball. It appears to have struck the upper part of his arm which was by his side - absolutely no intent at all and that's what the crowd saw. It shouldn't even have been a penalty let alone a sending off.
The game was littered with bad refereeing decisions but the next key moment for Nairn came long after they equalised when Willie Barron was booked. He won the ball brilliantly but one of the Buckie lads went down and it was another bad call by the ref to give the foul. This incensed Nairn's captain who was booked then later sent off when he lost it after Zander Diamond went down in the box for Buckie's second penalty. The reporter on Highland League.com called this one correctly in his on-line report. He described it as a soft award. I was yards away from it on the touchline and there was no contact from Main. Hind reacted and he got his marching orders.
Fair play to Nairn for a battling performance. They deserved their point and Ridgers was outstanding in goal. Let's hope it gives him a confidence boost and we see more of that kind of form from him. Station Parker.
UPDATE: Monday 09.25
The Buckie manager's quote in the P&J is interesting.
'Buckie Thistle manager Gregg Carrol said: “We should have won the game in the first half but when your players are looking for the referee to make decisions to help you win the game it is a disgrace. I am not happy with that or with them as they didn’t work hard enough in the first half to win the game.'
Full Press and Journal report here.
What is "conformation" ?
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