SARLL SARLL SEETHES SEETHES AT ‘ROBBERY’ ‘ROBBERY’
FUMING Stevenage boss Darren Sarll insists his side were the victims of a heist.
Boro held runaway League Two leaders Luton Town to a draw – a hugely respectable result after the 7-1 hammering in the reverse fixture.
However, decisions from referee Darran Handley left the Boro boss wondering whether he had ever played football.
First was a decision not to award the hosts a penalty for a handball appeal, before they conceded one of their own down the other end.
James Collins duly scored from the spot before Danny Newton headed home an equaliser minutes later.
Sarll blasted: “My lads have been absolutely robbed. We’ve been robbed of three points.
“The penalty decision is probably the most scandalous decision I’ve ever seen.
“The most scandalous thing about it is that at the end the referee’s explanation was ‘the tackle was good, but two arms in the back’.
“I don’t know if he’s ever played football before but when you slide tackle, if you don’t lean back and your feet don’t extend in front then you can’t make tackles.
“You can’t throw your legs forward and your upper body forward at the same time, it’s bio-mechanically impossible.
“I have never heard such a reason for giving a penalty in all my life.
“Then there’s the handball we weren’t given a penalty for. It was like an action figure where you pull the chord in their back and their arm flings out.”
Despite being held to a draw, the Hatters still have a firm cushion of six points at the summit – albeit having played a game more than their closest rivals.
The pitch was poor and the blustery conditions made it tough for both sides at the Lamex. Hatters striker Jake Jervis missed two great chances as he failed to find his range in the first half.
Boro began asking plenty of questions as John Goddard, Jonathan Smith and Alex Revell all missed chances after the break.
Then the game sprung into life late on. With 15 minutes left Goddard’s cross hit an arm with the referee waving play on.
At the death Luton seemingly stole all three points when Ronnie Henry hauled down Collins, with Collins scoring from the spot.
But Boro weren’t to be denied a share of proceedings as Newton headed home Ben Kennedy’s corner.
And Kennedy thought he won it after a great counter, before being ruled offside.
Hatters boss Nathan Jones said: “We weren’t as potent without Danny Hylton. For me he’s the best player in the league and he was hugely missed. But when you score an 85th-minute goal you want to go on and see the game out and we didn’t do that.
“It’s a massive disappointment, but it’s not a disaster.”