Andy Mutch blasts referee’s ‘over-reaction’ - Burscough FC

Apr 16 2009 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

Mutch blasts referee’s ‘over-reaction’

Farsley Celtic 5 - Burscough 1

A DECISION made by referee S. D. Rowntree may have put paid to Burscough’s hopes of avoiding the bottom three in the Blue Square North.

According to Linnets’ manager Andy Mutch, it certainly cost them all hope of picking up three vital points at the Throstle Nest ground.

After the game, a livid Mutch said: “It was a case of ‘handbags’. The referee was technically correct to send off Ray Shearwood, but was very wrong to do it.

“On a hot day, in a hotly-contested game, the right decision was to tell both players to calm down and go away.

“The referee completely overreacted”.

The incident that brought Mutch’s raking criticism of the match official took place in the 27th minute and it decided the whole game there and then. Shearwood and Farsley player Chris White fell to the ground and White appeared to hold Shearwood down.

In the scramble to get up, White appeared to go down due to an arm from Shearwood. White required medical attention, while Shearwood had a badly torn shirt. Mr Rowntree consulted his assistant, waved a yellow card at White, then a red one at Shearwood.

Brian Moogan led a Burscough protest and he too was shown a red card.

It was effectively the end of a game that promised plenty for Burscough in its early stages.

The opening had been close, neither team giving anything away.

The nearest to a goal was a header from Farsley’s Nathan D’Laryea that went wide, though, he could only have seen the ball late.

Reduced to the handicap of nine men, Burscough were forced to defend, but remarkably, they for while looked the most threatening of the two teams in attack.

In the 40th minute, Craig Davies was fouled 30 yards from goal. Eddie Stanford’s free kick sent home keeper Curtis Aspden flying to his left to palm away the ball. From the rebound, Ryan Wade was inches wide of the target. Two minutes later Josh Hine was put away and rolled the ball agonisingly just the wrong side of the post.

By now the home support were quite vociferously asking questions of their own players – why were nine men doing so well against 11?

Unfortunately for the Linnets, Farsley’s best player on the day, Lee Tuck, had the answer.