Sussex County League: Division One
Match Report
Sussex County League: Division One
 Horsham YMCA 0 |  Ringmer 1 A.MacMillan 81(pen) |
Match Ball Sponsor: | Source: Tom Norris |
DONNELLY BLAMES REFEREE AS TEN-MAN RINGMER DO THE DOUBLE OVER IDLE YM
Horsham YMCA manager, Sammy Donnelly, insisted he had only referee, Colin Mallows to blame following his side’s 1-0 home defeat to ten-man Ringmer at Gorings Mead on Saturday afternoon.
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Match Stats |
||
|
Horsham YMCA |
V |
Ringmer |
|
2 |
Shots On Target |
4 |
|
10 |
Shots Off Target |
7 |
|
3 |
Offsides |
2 |
|
6 |
Corners |
4 |
|
13 |
Fouls |
14 |
|
4 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
|
0 |
Red Cards |
1 |
‘There’s only one person to blame for today’s result, and that’s him in there,’ ranted Donnelly. ‘I’m sorry but that’s the way it is. I’ve not been happy with the standard of refereeing whatsoever this season, and today it’s cost us the game. I lay the blame on him without a shadow of a doubt.’
Matt Crane’s dubious looking foul on Ringmer centre-half Ryan MacMillan was enough to separate the two sides, as brother Aaron MacMillan stepped up to coolly convert the resulting spot kick for The Blues. And chances were at a premium throughout the entire ninety minutes, as referee Mallows’ controversial officiating governed an extremely lifeless encounter.
Livid boss, Donnelly, added, ‘We had the same thing happen last week at Peacehaven, where some of the decisions were amazing. I’m standing there trying to keep control of my feelings but its just soul destroying. We try and work hard and find our game plan, but then that all goes out the window because of decisions like that. It was all about him today – he wanted to be man of the match.’
The first forty-five was a tedious and fragmented affair, with both sides creating very little in the way of chances. YM’s Dean Wright volleyed over from close range in the opening exchanges, before Ringmer midfielder, Mark Price headed wide of the upright when well placed at the far post.
The hosts’ best chance came when a defensive clearance allowed striker George Hillier to release Timmy Martin, only for the speedy winger to skip past his full-back and fire back off the crossbar. But it was the visitors who should have gone in at the break a goal up, as a long goal kick failed to be dealt with by the YM defence and Blues striker, Marc Whiteman struck his effort straight at goalkeeper Simon Lockwood.
The second period followed a similar pattern, with the referee rarely allowing the game to flow. YM started brightly and a sweeping passage of play almost gave the hosts the lead. Brothers, Nick and Dan Sullivan combined well down the right, before a neat lay off from striker Wright teed up skipper Ashley Dugdale, whose left footed drive flew just inches wide of the post.
Nick Sullivan then stooped low to head a curling cross wide at the far post for YM, before the first of a trio of questionable decisions ensued. Ringmer’s Clive Snell was shown red for a second bookable offence, a supposed act of simulation in the YM penalty area, and a yellow card that referee Mallows simply had to show in order to keep consistency with his decision to book YM defender Jahmahl King for a similarly petty crime in the first half.
But even with a one man advantage, YM struggled to pose any real threat on the Ringmer goal, creating just two attempts on target all game.
And The Blues punished Donnelly’s men ten minutes from time, albeit with a little help from the referee. YM defender Matt Crane was adjudged to have leaned in to defender Ryan MacMillan, and despite little appeal, Mallows pointed to the spot, substitute Aaron MacMillan stepping up to send ‘keeper Lockwood the wrong way.
‘They say that referee’s decisions even themselves out, but that’s twice now I’ve had that this season,’ Donnelly persisted. ‘How can the referee give a penalty when two big lads have gone up for the ball?’
The hosts converted to three at the back, centre-half King joining the YM attack up front, but they still failed to create a way past a deep Ringmer back line. Referee, Mallows then waved away a blatant shirt pull on YM’s Martin which could easily have seen the winger go down inside the box, before the youngster curled an injury time effort high over the upright to conclude another dismal home display for the Gorings Mead outfit.
Donnelly continued, ‘And at the other end, Tim’s had his shirt pulled back there, blatantly. If he goes down, he gets booked for diving like a couple of other players in the game. What’s going on? I won’t even talk to him [the referee], because at the end of the day it’s disgusting – it’s just shocking. He’s ruined the game.
‘They played the one up top and flooded the midfield to catch us on the break. First half I thought we ran the show, but towards the end of the half they did come into it a little bit. They looked dangerous when one, long ball beat us, but other than that they never really troubled us. They were always going to catch us on the break, that’s just the system they played, but they were fortunate to get a penalty.
‘We tried to get the ball wide, but they defended quite deep. We tried to play in front, we tried to play behind and perhaps on another day one or two could have put in a better performance, but it’s always hard playing against ten men. We’ve just got to punch on now.’
YM (4-3-1-2): Lockwood, D. Sullivan, King, Crane, Gregory, N. Sullivan, Dugdale (c), Smith, Martin, Hillier, Wright
Unused Subs: Stillwell, Scally, Curtis, Hawthorne, G. Donnelly
