Dorset League

Division 2

Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

Donhead United 2 Shaftesbury Town Colts 3, attendance 36

30’ 1-0

49’ 2-0

59’ 2-1

63’ 2-2

71’ 2-3

@ Donhead Sports Club

Charlton Lane

Charlton

Shaftesbury

SP7 0PL

No Admission or Programme.

Despite being scheduled by the league as an 18.30 kick off, the two teams had decided between themselves that they would go for an 18.15 kick off, which the home club had posted on their Facebook page. These plans were scuppered when the Referee failed to arrive at the ground until 18.20, as apparently he drives coaches for National Express and had only just got back from London, but he still managed to get the game underway a minute before the official start time.

It has to be said, the performance of the Referee was shocking and some of his decisions were baffling, but at least he was consistent, as he was dreadful for both sides! He awarded Shaftesbury a penalty in the first half, which was at least 3 yards inside the box (I was in line with the incident), but after consulting the club Linesman he admitted he was guessing where the foul had occurred and instead changed his decision to a free kick a yard outside the box.

In a very keenly contested match, between two clubs just three miles apart, it was Donhead who led 1-0 at the break. As the teams were walking off the pitch at halftime a Donhead player was given a yellow card for dissent, which meant he would be sin binned for the first ten minutes of the second half, but the Referee had other ideas. He said that as the offence occurred during the interval the player was only receiving a standard yellow card, but after being berated by the Shaftesbury Manager, he changed his mind and quite rightly sin binned the player instead.

Even with 10 men Donhead went 2-0 up and looked to be heading to a comfortable three points, but a goal for the visitors just before the hour mark turned the game on its head. Four minutes later it was 2-2 and it looked like there was only going to be one winner now, and sure enough, it was Shaftesbury who won it, with a shot that gave the home ‘keeper no chance. Apparently, he was an outfield player, who was standing in for the normal ‘keeper who was unavailable tonight, although I doubt he would have saved it either if he’d been between the sticks instead.

No problem getting the full 90 minutes in tonight, aided by only having a six minute halftime, although the light was just starting to go when the match finished at 20.07.