Boro boss: Officials’ mistakes have cost us money and points
THE only surprise on Saturday was that Farnham Town didn’t score more goals as they put in a dominant performance to beat Cobham 1-0 in their second Combined Counties League Premier South game.
Two games in and manager Sean Birchnall’s side is taking shape.
The team brought an exciting mix of experience and exuberance that proved far too strong for a Cobham side that, at times, were reduced to the role of spectators as the Town’s midfield trio of Sean Swift, Kane Fitzgerald and Jack French passed around and through them at will.
The low final total certainly wasn’t down to a lack of quality chances created by a Farnham side that always seemed to have options available all over the pitch, and went close twice within the opening quarter of an hour.
First when Matt Bunyan just failed to connect with an Owen Dean
SPENCER Day has lamented decisions from match officials, despite Farnborough earning their first National League South point of the season at home to Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.
Boro were one goal up at the 90-minute mark – but the visitors managed to equalise with a penalty six minutes into the five minutes of time added on.
Now Boro boss Day claims poor decisions are costing the club money. He said: “Two games in and the officials let us down again. Last week we had three minutes of stoppage time when we had drinks breaks, which was ridiculous.
“Today we had no drinks break in the second half; substitutes were coming on at the same time.
“Five minutes is high, but the penalty was awarded at six minutes and seven seconds. Besides one ball hitting the gantry and they took a ball, that was the only thing in the five minutes. Goalkeepers kicking the ball.
“So that’s it, it’s game over and cross, and then when the same player did connect with a Fitzgerald corner, only to see the ball strike the post with the Cobham keeper completely beaten.
Farnham would finally break the deadlock on the half hour mark with what was in truth a slightly scruffy goal.
Having beaten his man down the right flank, Dean pulled the ball back to Jamie Hoppitt, who saw his well struck shot come back off the bar before falling to Bunyan, whose own shot was blocked into the path of French who finally slotted it home.
Ten minutes later it might have been two when full back James Batchelor, making a positive foray down the right, was found unmarked in the area by the they’re playing until they score. I’m a broken record in the first week about poor officiating. They’ve let us down; they’ve made a mistake.”
Day claimed he had even spoken to the official from the Hemel Hempstead Town game.
He said: “I had last week’s referee calling me up and apologising and I’m going to get another one. It’s not good enough.
“That’s takes away from what I thought was a very good performance. I have said to the boys in there – as much as I think we’ve been robbed by poor officiating again – we didn’t do enough.
“We had four great chances to finish the game off. We deserved to win the game and the small margins have come in.
“We’ve missed those chances and we’ve given the officials an opportunity to make a mistake. Poor decision from Jack [Ball], with the challenge.
“I refer back to this two hour call we had with the referees’ assessor and the Conference and they said they’re young but that’s two weeks and I hope this is not going to continue because I don’t want to be talking about officials.
“It’s letting us down. Financially it’s costing us. Points it’s costing us. Consistency between the officials on the time-keeping.
“They didn’t even tell us we weren’t doing a drinks break in the second half, it just didn’t happen, which is absurd in this temperature. It’s not good enough.”
In front of a healthy crowd of 618, Boro were awarded a penalty 20 minutes in when visiting goalkeeper Charlie Grainger fouled striker Tony Lee inside the box.
Lee, on loan from Poole Town, emphatically dispatched the resulting penalty kick to give his side a deserved lead.
Six minutes into the second half and Farnborough missed a great opportunity to double their advantage after winger Reggie Young sent Lee one-on-one with Grainger. The Dulwich Hamlet keeper made a great save to keep out the shot before
Michael Fernandes could only fire his shot into the side netting.
Farnborough goalkeeper Jack Turner was called into action on 87 minutes in, with an outstretched arm keeping out a low shot from Dulwich Hamlet substitute Jayden Clarke.
The referee indicated five minutes of additional time at the end of the second half. In the first minute, Boro just failed to direct his header on target; Hoppitt, who struck the side netting; and Dean, who couldn’t quite apply the final touch after good build up play from Fitzgerald and French.
On 77 minutes Dean would be denied by a wonder save from Cobham keeper Harvey Keogh that pushed the ball up and onto the bar and then, with two minutes remaining, the Town hit the woodwork again when substitute Danilo Pereira was played through only to see his thunderbolt shot cannon back off the base of the post.
■■Farnham are away to Frimley Green on Saturday. Their next home game is against Camberley Town on Tuesday, August 23. broke quickly from a Dulwich Hamlet corner and Fernandes turned his man inside his own half to send him in on goal, albeit from a narrowing angle. The winger took a low leftfooted shot which was kept out by Grainger, when a pass to substitute Mitchell Parker seemed the better option.
With referee Lewis Sandoe failing to blow his whistle after five minutes, Dulwich Hamlet went on an attack and were awarded a penalty when good work from Clarke drew a foul from Farnborough substitute Jack Ball inside the box in the sixth minute of additional time.
The home side were infuriated, and even more so when visiting midfielder Frankie Raymond stepped up to stick home the penalty, with the full-time whistle blowing simultaneously.
It was heartbreak for Farnborough who deserved better. Boro were due to host Taunton Town on Tuesday evening and will then head to Kent to play league favourites Ebbsfleet United on Saturday.
FLEET Spurs melted in the heat as they lost 2-0 at home to East Cowes Victoria in the Wessex League Division One on Saturday. From the start the Islanders were the better team, winning the 50/50 balls and generally showing more determination. Indeed, the game was effectively
over before half-time, thanks to generous defending by the home side. After nine minutes keeper Jack Coleman mis-hit a clearance, which didn’t even reach the halfway line, and a couple of quick passes put tall striker Sam Cant through on goal with the Fleet defenders dozing,
leaving him to beat Coleman easily. Ten minutes before the interval Cant doubled Vics’ tally when he firmly headed an inswinging rightwing corner into the net, unchallenged by keeper or defenders. Spurs created some chances for themselves, but even the normally
deadly Tom White’s finishing was profligate. The more optimistic of the Fleet supporters had noticed a slight improvement in the period up to half-time, and hoped that their team might come back into the game after the break. However, despite words of
wisdom from their management team, no significant change was forthcoming. Spurs were able to keep possession better than before the break, possibly because the visitors understandably relaxed in the heat, but they wasted what chances they did make.