Hengrove Athletic 4, Biddestone 2

GRAHAM Learmonth exploded with anger on Saturday after nine-man Biddestone were humbled by Hengrove.

In the aftermath of the 4-2 defeat, the normally placid Learmonth launched an attack on the man he described as "the worst referee I have ever seen."

Learmonth was furious after midfielder Dan Harvey was dismissed for handball and a seemingly offside goal for Hengrove was allowed to stand.

He said: "I have never been so disappointed with an official in all my life.

"We're trying to run a semi-professional league here and that's the standard of officiating we get?

"Dan Harvey's sending off was just embarrassing. The handball rule was brought in to stop people making saves on the line, not making blocks from 35 yards."

The scores were locked at 2-2 with 20 minutes to play when Harvey charged down a fierce shot outside the area.

The ball deflected off his arm into the net but the referee disallowed the goal and sent Harvey off for deliberate handball.

"How can you call that preventing a goalscoring opportunity?" challenged Learmonth.

"I would have preferred the goal to stand. Dan did absolutely nothing wrong and yet he got a straight red card."

From the resulting free kick the home side forced a corner. Biddestone cleared but when the ball was hooked back in, it was eventually forced over the line.

"Three of their players were off-side and the linesman flagged correctly," said Learmonth.

"But the referee ignored him and awarded the goal anyway. That's when Kris Beasley got sent off for protesting.

"We didn't deserve to have two players sent off and now we will be fined for somebody else's mistakes," he fumed.

The final straw for Learmonth came when striker Danny Lardner was shown a red card, only for the referee to change his mind and issue a yellow.

"I'd had enough by that point. I hurled some real abuse at him but he just laughed.

"The referee will not be made accountable. Next week he'll go off and ruin someone else's game. In my opinion he should never be allowed to referee again."

Hengrove raced into a two-goal lead before Beasley and full-back Jamie Lyons put Biddestone on level terms.

The controversy began after 70 minutes when Harvey and Beasley were given their marching orders.

The nine men pushed on, but Hengrove clinched the three points in stoppage time when they turned defence into attack following a Biddestone corner.