Duff hits out at ref Swabey after loss

CHELTENHAM boss Michael Duff hit out at referee Lee Swabey after watching his side lose at Newport County.

A drab first-half ended goalless before the game sprung to life nine minutes into the second period.

Jamille Matt flicked Regan Poole’s long free-kick into the path of Padraig Amond, before the striker lifted it over Robins goalkeeper Scott Finders.

Robins defender Chris Hussey raced back to clear the ball of the line, but could only head the ball into the back of his own net.

To make matter worse for the visitors, they had Will Boyle sent off after 75 minutes for dragging Matt down as he went clear on goal.

Billy Waters had Cheltenham’s best chance, shooting wide after 20 minutes.

Duff was not happy with the decisions that went against his team, as Newport improved their play-off hopes.

He said: “I’ve got plenty of complaints about the result, we didn’t deserve to get beat at all. We came up against a tough team, an awful pitch and a bad referee.

“We were the better team first-half and conceded a bad goal, we have to weather a storm better than that, but that is my only compliant about the performance. I could be here all day talking about the referee, I didn’t think he was very good.

“I was unhappy with the sending off, I thought there was a foul on Will Boyle before he pulled Matt back. It summed the referee up because he saw it for them and didn’t see it for us.”

Newport manager Michael Flynn revealed a half-time rollocking sparked an improved second-half performance.

“I’m going to be honest, that was one of the worst first-halves of football I have ever seen, it was disgusting.

“I thought we were terrible, we were sloppy in possession nobody wanted the ball, we were getting beaten in the air and kicking the ball out of play with no thought process. It was awful.

“I told them in no uncertain terms at half-time, that we’re not having that and we got a good response.

“I won’t let the season peter out, if the players think it’s going to they will be on the scrapheap in the summer. If they want to take their foot off the gas they are ruining their own career, not mine.”