Boss blasts officials after Tuesday torture (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Boss blasts officials after Tuesday torture

Coalville Tn 4, Stratford Tn 1

AN EXACT reverse of Saturday's winning scoreline left Town boss Ian Britton fuming on Tuesday night, writes Mervyn Collins.

However, it wasn't his players he was furious with but the match officials!

"I don't know where they get them from," the Masons Road manager moaned. "Their first goal was miles offside, the linesman wasn't even looking. He was a disgrace!

"The penalties that were awarded were dodgy and I felt that we should have had another couple."

What Britton did agree on was that the men in black were just as bad for both sides on a night when the scoreline didn't reflect Stratford's display.

"The lads worked really hard and there were positive signs," said Britton. "However, we've got to work hard defensively and have to learn not to lose."

Central defender Richie Robinson had to be pulled out of the match during the warm-up when he suffered an injury. James Beauchamp came in alongside Nigel Niblett but that left the visitors short on then bench where an unfit Dennis Mulholland was named.

Both goalkeepers excelled on the night and Coalville custodian Sean Bowles produced a superb point-black stop after just three minutes to deny Craig Pountney.

Opposite number Shaun Hayes, playing his second game since arriving from Bromsgrove, then saved a spot-kick from Rich Saunders after Niblett had been adjudged to have fouled the kicker.

Stratford's goalkeeper, though, was beaten after 18 minutes when Saunders ran through from an offside position to net at the second after an initial block.

Stratford's best move of the first half ended with Paul Hunter's cross just evading Pountney and the points were as good as sealed for the Leicestershire outfit within five minutes of the restart.

Tiday stole in at the far post after 48 minutes and then netted an easy tap-in after play was allowed to continue with provider Ashley Brown yards offside.

Bowles denied Hunter twice as the visitors fought hard to get back in the match and, after Hayes had denied Coalville on several occasions, it was the home side's turn to moan.

Pountney was adjudged to have been held down and the Travel Factory Alliance's top scorer got up to bang in the penalty and make it 3-1 with 18 minutes remaining.

Robbie Elmes headed over and Jamie Barnes was thwarted by another stunning Bowles intervention before the blatantly offside Lee McGlinchey wrapped up the scoring five minutes from time.

It's now Britton's job to lift his side ahead of two crucial matches at Alvechurch on Saturday and at Oldbury United next Tuesday night.

The manager will be hoping that Robinson and Paddy Connelly will be fit for this weekend but Dennis Bailey should be fit to return after injury.

Injured full backs Mulholland and Phil Mortimer aren't expected to be in the frame, while central defender Ashley Pringle has left the club.

Racing Club Warwick's progress to the League Cup semi-final has meant Stratford's scheduled visit to Hampton Road on Tuesday, March 8 has now been put back to Tuesday, April 19.