Coley laments inconsistencies in referees’ calls
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman found himself lamenting the impact of refereeing inconsistencies once again after his side were beaten on home turf for the first time since December.
The Reds fell to a 2-1 defeat against League One strugglers Gillingham at the Wham Stadium on Saturday.
Coley admitted his side were poor during the
‘We never get away with things like that, we get players booked willy nilly’
opening 45 minutes – but felt they deserved more from an improved second half showing.
Despite dominating, goals from Charlie Kelman and Vadaine Oliver gave the visitors a twogoal lead with Colby Bishop pulling one back from the penalty spot.
But Coleman reckoned his side should have had two more spot kicks – and more support from referee Scott Oldham as Gillingham played fast and loose with the rules.
“It’s ironic, the last two games we’ve lost at home have both been against teams in the bottom five,” he said. “First half was terrible, a terrible advert for football – anti-football – and we got sucked into their game which we shouldn’t have.
“It took us half an hour before we passed the ball, and when we did we had a good chance, Mitch (Clark) flashed it wide.
“In the second half we played the way I want us to play, we got on the front foot, controlled the game and played the whole of the game in their half. They have been near our goal twice and scored twice. That’s bad defending by us, we’ve clocked off
“A long throw-in to the box that’s been misjudged. Harvey (Rodgers) said he’s lost it in the sun but I’m not washing with that, it’s just bad play. Then we’ve gone to sleep when he’s had the shot – Liam made a good save and he’s all on his own to head it in. From our point of view it’s poor.
“The second goal was diabolical from us. We clear our lines and whether we try to play him offside and whether he’s offside or not I don’t know, but we shouldn’t be playing him offside. You’ve got a young goalkeeper there who has acquitted himself really well,. but he shouldn’t be left in a situation where he’s one on one with a centre forward who’s probably one of the best in the air in the league. The centre half should go with him and he didn’t – that’s lazy play.
“Then it was a riproaring finish. We had three penalty shouts and got probably the weakest one of the three.”
Ross Sykes was felled in time added on with what Coleman described as an ‘assault.’
“The one at the end was diabolical and nothing, nothing can appease me or explain to me that it’s not a penalty,” said the Reds chief. “You can’t say ‘well he did this or he did that’, there’s nothing! It’s a penalty, and if he did that in the street he’d be going to jail for assault.
“There’s no radical or reasonable explanation as to why that isn’t a penalty. But that’s probably been the story of our season.
“The referee said it was a coming together. It’s beyond ludicrous. I’ve said I’m not going to talk about referees but they are such a big part of the game, probably more important than the players, certainly the way the game panned out in the first half! Two weeks ago we had Tommy Leigh sent off for a flailing arm – their lad doesn’t even get a yellow card for the same thing.
“Twice when they scored they jumped into the crowd. Now, I don’t make these rules that it’s a mandatory yellow card – it was just ignored. So the rules were just ignored. We never get away with anything like that, we get players booked willy nilly.
“It took him until the 82nd minute, probably their eighth transgression of kicking the ball away, that he decided to book one of their lads.
“A sub kicked the ball into the stands – no words to him! When that happens you sometimes wonder whether it’s worthwhile carrying one because you are in the lap of the gods and no matter how well you prepare, you can’t prepare for decisions you get.”
The Reds are at home again on Saturday as they entertain Cheltenham. They then travel to Wigan on Tuesday evening.