Finally, some positivity!

After what felt like many bad games back to back, either with my performance, confidence or the fact that I'd inadvertently ticked off one too many managers over the past few weeks, I went into this weekends games determined to ensure everything went as smoothly as possible, and low and behold, I had 2 almost perfect performances.

I started at King George fields in Berry Hill for a cup game between U16 First Division side Forest Town Pumas and Second Division Woodhouse Colts, in a game that was billed to be very one sided. In fact it was a very close tie with Woodhouse's guts neautralising Forest Town's quality, and it was the lower side that took the lead in the opening few minutes of the second half and held it for some time. It was inevitable though that Forest Town would eventually break them down, they'd done everything but including hit the bar, and force a world class save from the very petit Woodhouse stopper. They levelled with a great strike from distance before a mix up at the back between last defender and keeper saw the lanky Town striker nip in between and nod the ball over them both and into the empty goal.

At this point, Forest Town played a lot more casually, with some neat one touch football and stylish tricks but most attacks came to nothing prompting their skipper to remind them they were 2-1 up not 6-1. They were reminded of this even further when with just a couple of minutes to go, a long ball hit forward released a nippy Woodhouse striker who slotted in to equalise and force extra time.

I spoke with one of the makeshift linesman at the end of normal time who praised my performance and the flow of the game, to which I hoped this would continue. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get everything spot on today and the biggest mestake I made came midway through the first period of extra time. The tall Town striker had forced his way through the Woodhouse defence and was bearing down on goal when one of the centre backs made a last ditch attempt to get a toe to the ball. From where I was it looked like he'd managed to do so, despite the striker crashing to the ground under the tackle. I waved him up much to the disgust of the home crowd and management and play continued.

Forest Town had by far the majority of possession and chances but couldn't find their way through the resilient Colts defence again and they began to get a little frustrated, causing one late tackle near the end of the game to wind up in my book. It hadn't been that sort of game though and was a shame to have had to caution someone so late but it probably would've only been a talking to anyway until he leathered the ball at an opposition player!

And so we had penalties to decide the outcome. The football fan in me wanted the underdogs to succeed but the referee in me hoped Forest Town made it so I wouldn't hear anything else of the penalty decision I knew I had got wrong during extra time. As it were, I had nothing to worry about as Woodhouse missed their first two kicks in very much a Waddle and Pearce fashion and went on to lose the shootout 4-2. I got a lot of congratulations for my part of a great game though the Forest Town manager did question the earlier penalty appeal to which I stated that I had probably got it wrong, to which he was quite ok with - it's a wonder what winning does to a person!

So the first game was a success but I wasn't feeling too confident about the second going so well. It was an U17 league game between Skegby Colts and Woodhouse Colts. This was my big return to Skegby having taken them near the start of the season in a very eventful cup game with Ollerton that ended 5-4 to the latter after extra time, in a match where I gave a penalty decision in the first minute against the home team, cautioned someone who really should've been sent off for a tackle that broke a leg, and had 120 minutes of earache from most of the Skegby players. Was I looking forward to this one, I think not!

Still, I like the challenge so went into the game with confidence and the feeling that I was going to have a good game. It started weirdly though as Skegby didn't appear from the changing room until 1:45 when kick off should've been 1:30. We eventually got started and the game started well. There were some meaty tackles right from the off but most were fair and I had no hesitation calling back the ones that weren't. I had to speak to a couple of players from each side as the tackles got harder and harder and I thought it may not be too long before someone needs booking but I resisted for as long as I could but made it clear that I wouldn't just stand by and watch while someone got hurt.

Skegby controlled much of the game and took a 2-0 goal lead into half time. The second half was contested just as hard but the tackles got fairer and I was pleased I hadn't shown a card yet. A third goal was scored by the home side which all but ended the tie and with this, a young player I recognised from the first game as being the guy who should've been sent where instead I gave a yellow, entered the field of play from the bench. Straight away he began making a nuisance of himself, going in a little hard on a player already on the floor, pulling shirts unneccessarily off the ball and then he took a dive from a clean sliding tackle. I had no hesitation but to book him and his captain, who had spent the 120 minutes of the cup game earlier in the season bellowing at me for every right or wrong decision, this time spent his energy wisely aiming his pleas at the young player who was doing everything he could to turn the yellow into red.

Woodhouse offered little throughout the game and were deservingly beaten 4-0 in all and no more cards were required in the game. It had been another great game and I was pleased when the Skegby manager came to chat about a perfect performance, praising me for resisting getting the cards out too soon and also for how I handled his mouthy substitute. It had been a great day and I felt my confidence grow as I learned from previous weeks, ensuring I went into the games fully focused and prepared to show whose in charge. I later heard that from one of the managers from the 2 games today I had received 100% marks, which can't happen very often!

More controversy!

I had hoped after recent weeks that my single game of the weekend could go fluently, just for once, without any issues on my part. Everyone knows a referee should be heard and not seen, and from our viewpoint, a succesful match means we've turned up, said little, let the game flow, got paid and gone home! This was just another of those games that from fairly early on I just wanted to go home!

Arriving at Forest Town Welfare shortly before the game, I spoke with both managers, checked the pitch and the goals and prepared to have a good game. It was an under 13's game, which from previous experiences this season run fairly smoothly and from the discussions with the managers, looked as though it would be fairly one sided with Forest Town - the top flight team, having beaten Blackwell - a division 2 side, comfortably in previous meetings.

I remembered many of the Forest Town players from when I had taken my old Welbeck side their on a couple of occasions and knew they were a talented, though very arrogant and unsporting side. However it was Blackwell that started the brighter, playing on the counter they forced 2 or 3 clear opportunities to break but couldn't quite muster a clear shot on goal, before Forest Town started to take control. They took the lead through a well taken lob and were 2-0 up soon after from a long range effort that the short Blackwell keeper couldn't get across to.

There was then a clash in the Blackwell penalty box when their tough centre back went into a 50-50 tackle strongly with a smaller but fiesty Forest Town winger. The ball was very much there to be won and both lads went in hard but the home player went in a little harder with one foot showing a little too much stud, catching the Blackwell player just above the shinpad. There were bellows from the sides for a red card and after ensuring the Blackwell player wasn't too injured, I pulled the winger to one side to have words and to book him.

In recent weeks I've been disappointed that when speaking to players I've not been clear or confident enough, and that it was a big part of my game I needed to improve upon. This time I ensured I spoke firmly and clearly, informing the player that his tackle was a little reckless, he had every right to go for the ball and hadn't put a foot wrong up to that point but that it did merit a booking. He accepted it which made it easy, hopefully I'll be as confident when speaking to older players and also be able to deal confidently with any follow up verbal.

The Blackwell touchline committee were angry that only a yellow had been shown and after speaking to their manager that it was a yellow card offense, it appeared that a recent match between the 2 sides had seen the cautioned player play in a dangerous manner, resulting in a broken ankle for a Blackwell player. Unfortunately I don't have access to previous history of teams at this level and it doesn't quite make the News of the World. I can only focus on the game to hand. At one point the Blackwell physio attending to the player was raving about the tackle, telling me to get a grip on the game and that the tackle was shocking and merited a red card, and he should know as he's a doctor.... I had to laugh, does this then give me the right to march into his surgery and claim that the last injection he just did was shocking and I should know as I'm a referee?!!

The Blackwell sideline were clearly infuriated by the incident and it was made worse shortly after when another player was caught in possession going forward, colliding with the Forest Town player nipping in to take the ball away from under him causing him to go down on the half way line but play continued. As it wasn't a head injury, the player didn't look under any immediate distress and the play had now moved to a totally seperate part of the field, I had no urgent requirement to stop play. Looking back I wish I had but I hoped the home side would do me a favour and kick it out of play in a sporting fashion, but they didn't and to make matters worse, they scored from it. This made the touchline furious for the remainder of the game, getting on my back at every little occasion.

I was glad to bring the first half to an end and at 3-0, the game was very much Forest Town's even at this stage. I hoped the second half would go a lot smoother, which to some extent it did but it still wasn't easy. I psyched myself up at half time to have a good second half and forget the first. Despite the incidents I still felt as though personally I was having a good game and making the correct decisions. I wasn't allowing myself to be swayed by either set of coaches and fans and just stuck to the task at hand.

There were no major incidents in the second half, just a hell of a lot of goals. 7 to be precise, all going in Forest Town's favour leaving them with a 10-0 win. There was also just a lot of moaning from one side of the field for everything that went against the away side. At one point I got an almighty - though highly ironic cheer when I did give something their way, which was nice... There was a little dispute over the first goal of the half as a Forest Town player stretched to keep the ball in play, which he did by a country mile, but the linesman did flag for the throw in, probably very wary of the Blackwell coach just 2 feet away. I was merely 10 yards away though and could see that not even a portion of the ball had crossed the line let alone all of it but the Blackwell players stopped allowing the home side an easy goal. In fairness, the Blackwell manager didn't dispute it, I'm sure he could clearly see it was still in play but at this point looked like he'd lost the will to appeal and just told his players to enjoy the rest of the game as nothing was going in their favour. Murmours on the opposite side of the pitch from the Blackwell travellers were just as bad as they felt that the world was against them, having just witnessed a goal against them after the linesman had signalled a throw in.

I was pleased to call time on the game and was congratulated by many of the home fans and coaching side, knowing that I had got at least most decisions correct, and that I had well earnt the £19 after the stick taken by the other half. I had to pass the Blackwell parents on the way to the car and at first considered just waiting for them all to leave first before deciding I'd nothing to hide from and as long as I managed the situation well enough I should be ok. I got a handshake from 'the doctor' which I was pleased about as he was one of the Blackwell sides leading the protests, then despite some of the narkings of the parents, showing concern for one of the injured players went down well and we ended up discussing the lack of sportsmanship from Forest Town on a number of occasions, namely when one player had been felled and took a bump to the head, the home side were seen to be laughing. It was very disappointing but from my position there's not a great deal I could do other than issue warnings, which I did and nothing else became of it. Still, another day, another dollar!