FOOTBALL: Battling Didcot fume at ref (From The Oxford Times)

FOOTBALL: Battling Didcot fume at ref

10:20am Monday 30th January 2012 in Football

Didcot Town were fuming about the referee after their narrow 2-1 defeat away to Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West promotion-chasers Hungerford.

The visitors claim he wronglydisallowed a Sam Elkins effort and then gave Hungerford a contentious penalty.

Didcot dominated the first half.

Steve Davis saw a deflected shot go just over, while Lee Henderson was denied only by a brilliant save.

The referee’s decision to rule out Elkins’s eighth-minute header, presumably for a push in the build-up, was harsh.

Paul Robinson, who had gone ten games without a goal, gave Didcot a deserved lead after 50 minutes when he headed in Davis’s left-wing cross.

Hungerford had a stonewall penalty turned down when Kevin Halliday brought down Jamie Gosling in the area.

But then the referee compounded his error by awarding them a penalty for handball when the ball struck defender Richard Peirson on the chest. Former Didcot striker Mark Draycott converted the spot-kick.

Hungerford grabbed the winner ten minutes later, Luke Hopper netting from close in.

Didcot’s 17-year-old keeper Jonathan Henly did well on his debut.

Didcot Tn: Henly, Heapy, Halliday, Hend-erson, Peirson, Stanley, Elkins, Howell (Mudge 85), Robinson (Faulkner 80), Odhiambo, Davis. Subs not used: Jaward, Beames, Mitchell.

Attendance: 110.