Officials made the game ‘frustrating’

Ryan Upward wasn’t afraid to admit the referee’s performance hindered Maidenhead United from getting all three points against Oldham Athletic on Saturday, with the Magpies midfielder finding the contest ‘bitty’ and ‘frustrating’.

A total of 34 fouls were recorded between the Magpies and the Latics by the Advertiser at the weekend, and it could be argued that most did not warrant match official Lloyd Wood to blow his whistle.

Certainly for Upward and his teammates, they found the game difficult to play and believed they had their momentum often slowed as they were looking to record a third National League victory in a row.

“He’s given bookings for petty things, when players have got the ball fairly, and the whole game felt very bitty,” said Upward.

“I picked up a yellow for tackling someone and just sending the ball out of play. The fourth [official] should have told the ref then and there but they just didn’t communicate so I got booked.

“It is all very frustrating. You get in trouble for having an opinion on their performance, but they can have one on yours. I think they made the game about them instead of letting things play out.

“If there is a little foul or a minor handball, play the advantage, let it go, but there were so many moments where the game got stopped and opportunities to slow the game.”

Reflecting on the Magpies’ display, Upward said: “We battered them in the first half. It was probably the best we’ve played all season, but a mistake gave them a goal. They didn’t even have a chance before that. It was just a long clearance and then a mistake.

“The second half, we didn’t start great in terms of keeping the ball. But we eventually get on top of it and went on to dominate again. The quality of the final ball was really the only thing lacking today.

“We have been good the last couple of games but there’s still things we can improve on. It was a positive to get something after going behind, but we should have won today.”

The result leaves the Magpies in 13th place, four points off the playoffs, however, had they won they would have climbed as high as 11th.

“It’s a mad league. Before the last three, we were two points above relegation and winless in five. Now we’ve won two on the bounce and got a draw, we’re a few points off the play-off places,” added Upward.

“A good run of results and you end up climbing the table pretty well. We’ve just got to keep the consistency up.”