Fuming: Garforth head coach Graham Nicholas branded the referee’s decision to allow Pickering’s third goal as “disgraceful”
Garforth Town head coach Graham Nicholas slammed the performance of referee Duncan Carratt after a controversial decision that led to Pickering Town’s crucial equalising goal in the eventful Toolstation NCEL Premier Division encounter, writes James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson).
Carratt allowed Pickering to take a quick free kick on the edge of the Garforth box on the hour mark and Josh Greening rolled the ball into the empty net, prompting angry scenes on-and-off-the-pitch.
Greening’s strike levelled the scores at 3-3 and Mitch Cook’s side went onto score twice late on to steal all three points at Wheatley Park.
Garforth also had six players yellow carded – three in one incident during the first half – which will earn them a fine from the West Riding County FA. Nicholas was livid at the display of the official and laid the blame for the defeat at his door.
“I think it was a disgraceful decision because I said to the referee if you’re going give quick free kick you have to notify all the players,” he told Sports Performer.
“Our players certainly were not ready. Our ‘keeper was even stood on the post and the players were organising the wall so there wasn’t even a wall.
“The player shot into the goal and I was thinking ‘what’s he doing?’. The referee obviously gave it which I think was abysmal and for me I don’t want him refereeing here again.
“I’ve been into see him and asked him the question ‘why?’ He said that he asks the players for every free kick I give whether they want to take it quickly. I said that’s not right because there were a few free kicks that were taken quickly and you have called them back because you weren’t ready.
“I told him you have to make all the players aware. It had a massive effect on the game as it changed it. Going in at half-time 3-2 up we had given everything and showed great character.
“After half-time Pickering were having a few long range shots and I thought they had lost their way a bit. But they got a goal and it put us on the back foot and we’ve lost the game because of it.”
Garforth striker Curtly Martin-Wyatt makes the score 1-1
The game began in rip-roaring fashion with as by the 24th minute Garforth were leading 3-2. Pickering had a fantastic start. Cook’s team were controlling possession and deservedly scored early-on.
Poor defending allowed Tony Hackworth of all people to be unmarked at the back-post and he rolled back the years with an exquisite volley. Despite not being in the game, Garforth equalised inside 60 seconds. In-form Curtly Martin-Wyatt decided to play pin-ball with the Pickering defence and somehow opened up a shooting chance. The striker made no mistake as he buried the ball in the net with a low finish.
Garforth goalkeeper Michael Bathurst then made a huge mistake by making an unnecessary challenge on Ged Dalton in the penalty area. Dalton was going away from goal when he was brought down. Hackworth sent Bathurst the wrong way for the penalty.
Garforth hit back. Logan McDaniel’s elaborate back-heel opened the door for Tim Robertson and the left-back was able to curl the ball into the bottom from 18-yards.
Josh Greenhalgh puts Garforth 3-2 ahead
The Miners then went ahead. McDaniel was at the centre of it again by making a surging run forward. McDaniel sent a low cross into the ball and Josh Greenhalgh could not miss from just inches away from goal.
The third goal for Garforth triggered an escalation of trouble and the start of the yellow card count. Close to half-time, Sam Akeroyd made a bad tackle close to the Garforth box and a stream of Pickering players ran 30 yards to be involved in the pushing and shoving.
After the row calmed down, the referee spent four minutes dealing with the incident and chose to caution Akeroyd for the challenge and then Martin-Wyatt and Tawanda Rupere for their role in the melee. Pickering’s Nathan Cook was given a yellow card – the visitors’ only caution of the match.
Garforth boss Nicholas spoke openly about the incident and admitted that he couldn’t understand why only one Pickering player was cautioned in the incident.
Pickering boss Mitch Cook gets his point across to referee Duncan Carratt at half-time
That was the last piece of falling-out between the two teams as it was the referee who dug his own grave in the second half. Carratt effectively allowed Greening place the ball in the almost empty net from 18-yards as Garforth were preparing for a free kick.
The goal nearly cued a riot as goalkeeper Bathurst went berserk and chased after the official in the protests. The American stopper was cautioned for his comments to the referee.
The equaliser changed the momentum of the game and Pickering finished it really strongly. Garforth, who had Robertson and Liam Smith yellow carded towards the end, struggled to cope and a Pickering goal seemed inevitable. Bathurst had already made three or four top saves before the winning goal.
Greening was on the score-sheet again with the help of a deflection in a goal-mouth scramble with just four minutes remaining. Highly-rated under 19s striker Sam Calvert sealed the win during added-time with a very composed finish that prompted Cook to start punching the air in celebration.
The Pickering manager told Sports Performer: “I think we deserved it in the end.
“We started really well and played some good football and got the early goal. We’re a young side and we sort of switched off and they hit back.
“We said at half-time we were disappointed with Garforth’s goals as they were at a time when we were on top. What we needed to do was score the next goal and when we came out for the second half we were well on top.
“The goalkeeper made three or four great saves. I thought it (the winning goal) was coming because there is only a certain amount of pressure you can take. We have players who can score and if you look at our record I think we are the leading goal-scorers in the league.”
On the controversial equalising goal, he said: “I said to Jimmy (Beadle) in the dressing room ‘have you asked the referee if you can take it quickly’? Credit goes to him, he had the initiative to ask.
“He did so what do you do? You stroke it into the net. It’s up to the referee, he made the decision. I was laughing about it because week-in week-out the referee pulls you back. Today we had a bit of luck.”
Asked what his reaction would have been if he had been the Garforth manager, Cook said: “I would have been gutted.”
Garforth Town: Bathurst, Hawksworth, Robertson, Allen (captain), Smith, Greenhalgh, Bower, Akeroyd (Turner 73), Martin-Wyatt, Rupere, McDaniel (Oyebanji 49). Subs unused: McMurrough, Freeman, Ellis.
Pickering Town: Myers, Hawkes, Batchelor, Paterson (captain), Hackworth, Cook, Nock (Taylor HT), Dalton (Fenwick 68), Danby (Calvert 80), Beadle, Greening. Sub unused: Giles.
Referee: D Carratt
Attendance: TBC
Man of the match: Tawanda Rupere (Garforth Town)
Match Photos are HERE