Manager blasts ref's performance

12:13pm Thu Mar 14, 2013

A furious Tony Joynes branded referee Chris Hunter’s performance a disgrace after his Newark Town side were knocked out of the League Cup quarter-final by AFC Mansfield in a game marred by a red card to Chris Self in the 16th minute.

Town playmaker Ian Hillier was kicked by a Mansfield player in an off-the-ball incident, resulting in Self pushing the offender to the floor, before another Mansfield defender appeared to lash out at Self, with a melee ensuing.

Hunter sent Self off for the push, but failed to punish the two Mansfield players involved, with the linesman ten yards away also missing the action.

Joynes said: “I feel let down by the match officials. The referee destroyed the game.

“I can’t understand how he can spot the second incident (Self’s push) but not the first or the third committed by Mansfield players.

“It is disgraceful. I stood there in disbelief when I saw him award a free-kick to Mansfield.

“I have no qualms over Chris Self’s red card. You can’t raise your hands like that and he apologised afterwards.

“I’m not saying we would have won had one or both their players been sent off for their fouls, but we will never know the rightful outcome.”

Representatives from the Nottinghamshire FA were videoing the game to assess the referee’s performance for training, but Joynes said they had refused to send a copy of the video to the club.

Town were unable to stop Mansfield from scoring five times after the incident, sending them out of the cup.

They host Real United in the Floodlit Cup semi-final on Wednesday, before travelling to three of the bottom six teams in the league — Holbrook St Michaels, Blackwell Miners’ Welfare and Blidworth Welfare.

Joynes said: “Our aim now is to finish in the top three, and you look at our next three league games as games we should win.

“We have also got big games against Sutton Town, Belper United and Mickleover Royals left, and I’ll be looking to take maximum points from those games, as we want revenge on Sutton and Mickleover.

“We are getting some players back after injuries and some young lads coming through so I might try and get a few of them in to boost their experience in the league before next season.”

Town host Real United on Wednesday at 7.45pm at Station Road, Collingham.