Report on Saturday...

[Coffin Ender]

From www.wfcsc.co.uk...

 

I knew things were a bit odd when I had my bag searched for the first time ever outside the ground. I later heard that our happy snapper, Adam Williams, had his camera bag searched too...

Obviously Margate Football Club had had a tip-off that an Al-Qaeda cell had targeted the game against Wealdstone for their next atrocity!

Somebody said "no wonder the club are broke when they spend all this money on security".

 

"The Ryman League's most out of sync referee, Warren Atkin, came to the White Lion ground and proceeded to impose his 'vision' on another game of football".

 

Those are my opening words on February's Wealdstone/Windsor game. At Margate on Saturday the same official cost Wealdstone at least a point as Atkin displayed again that he hasn't learnt anything or improved in the slightest. When the pressure is on, he folds.

 

With Wealdstone looking odds-on for a draw after a slow start, and thinking possibly of victory, Atkin turned the game around completely with his failure to award a free kick in favour of goalkeeper Russell Ling who, while having to depart his area attempting to head a ball clear, had to brave a boot in the vicinity of his face.

 

The slightest of touches gave Margate a very soft goal as Andy Keepence tried desperately to get back and keep it out. I watched televised football on Sunday and saw examples of lesser incidents being penalised.

 

High kicking? Not in the jaundiced eyes of Mr Atkin. Inflexible to the last, even after consulting an assistant the 'goal' stood. Enraged Stones players surrounded the official. Three were booked, manager Gordon Bartlett sent off to take a place behind the barrier, and what had been a rather nondescript game of football turned nasty for its remaining few minutes as Atkin fought to keep control of events that he had created.

 

Stones had survived an early scare when a lob from Standen hit a post in the first minute. Amoako was unable to get sufficient power on a diving header rebound and Russell Ling gratefully fell on the loose ball.

 

Margate has lots of the first half pressure but chances were few at either end. Long range efforts from Dean Harding and Ryan Harris barely troubled the home keeper Mitten and he also dealt competently with a Jermaine Beckford cross-shot from a tight angle.

 

Robin Tucker, perhaps the main reason for the stiffening up of the Wealdstone defence in recent weeks, had to go off with hamstring trouble after half and hour and immediately an unmarked Braithwaite had a header saved by Ling.

 

But Margate were not the best of sides to capitalise. The fact that they had drawn eight and scored only ten goals in ten league fixtures was all too evident and a largely unmemorable game was heading for a scoreless draw.

 

Amaoko toed wide after hesitation between Ling and Andy Keepence and the defender blocked a shot from the same forward after Braithwaite had set him up.

 

From being largely defensive Wealdstone began to create worthwhile chances, Beckford's out-of-the-blue shot through a crowd of players had goal written all over it until Mitten produced a spectacular save to somehow get the ball wide.

 

Both Richard Jolly and Josh Cooper should have been more positive in their actions when faced with just the goalkeeper after clever work from Beckford, on both occasions, had set them up.

 

Atkin had been quiet in a quiet game until ten minutes from time. A long bouncing ball forward required Ling to exit his area and head clear. As he hesitated to get his timing right the raised boot of Amoako appeared inches from his face (and Russell Ling is not small by any means). The slightest of touches was enough to deflect the ball goalwards and, try as he might, Keepence could not keep it out.

 

Suddenly everything erupted. As the home side celebrated, livid Wealdstone players surrounded the referee and his assistant. Three were booked, Bartlett was dismissed to join the crowd behind the barrier, and the quiet game turned nasty for its final minutes as tackles flew in and players squared up to one another. Atkin appeared to be at a loss what to do. Wealdstone lost their shape and composure and Dave Ryan had to clear off his line before the final whistle sealed a cruel defeat.

 

Wealdstone: Ling, Harding(Lancaster 71), Ashton(Holland 88), White, Ryan, Keepence, Tucker(Cooper 35), Harris, Beckford, Jolly, Turner.

 

By Steve Paull

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You forgot to mention the Amaoke is only about 5ft tall and that must have had the referee take a lesser view on the lad getting the ball to go toward goal.

I,as a referee myself would probably have blown up for it but then again Amaokes height and that of the keeper may have made me think twice before making a decision.

Unfortunately thinking twice as a ref is not possible therefore the ref's first instinct was to take into account the height of the foot & he obviously felt that it was not dangerous in the circumstances. Thats the way I think he must have come to his decision.