Ayr rage as ropey ref puts them in a spot

Feb 13 2008 Ayrshire Post

RAGING Murray Henderson accused blunder ref Chris Boyle of losing the plot and making a mockery of the game as ten man Ayr crashed at home.

The woeful whistler left United fuming by awarding two dodgy penalties in the last minute, both of which were converted by veteran Bobby Mann.

Skipper Eddie Forrest was shown a straight red card for his protests while the official left the field to a chorus of boos.

An irate Henderson hit out: "It was horrible to watch and horrible to play in. It was dire.

"The first penalty was apparently for hand ball by Colin Marshall which was nothing short of a disgrace. The linesman never flagged but the ref gave it.

"The second was a penalty for me apparently elbowing somebody but the ref was on the blind side and couldn't possibly see. At the end of the day, it was my shoulder. I used my strength to shoulder charge the guy so he couldn't get to the other side of me. The ball went out of play so it should be blow the whistle and carry on.

"The ref had lost the plot earlier when Mann elbowed Gareth Wardlaw and he gave a free-kick to Peterhead. He lost the plot from that point on and made a mockery of the game.

"It was one of the worst referreing performances I have ever seen and how he is a referee at senior level I have no idea."

However, Henderson conceded the Ayr players had to take responsibility. He declared: "We are not going to make excuses for a refereeing performance. The bottom line is we didn't play well and never got started.

"It was really a non event of a game until the last minutes when the fans got their money's worth for not the right reasons. It was a bad day which we can't afford in our position and we are absolutely disgusted with ourselves.

"We don't want to be sitting ninth in the table but we have enough confidence to get out of there and go and win the next game."

Boss Brian Reid claimed Ayr never got out the traps. And while he was unhappy at decisions, he refused to blame the referee for the defeat.

He said: "I have said to the players I am not going to accept indiscipline and I certainly don't want to see players get sent off every week. I think over the course of the season a few have been unjust but at the end of the day, players are no use to me or the club in the stand watching."

Ayr had an early scare when Graeme Sharp rippled the sidenet but should have been in front when Alex Williams sprinted clear but failed with only keeper Michal Kula to beat.

No sooner had Iain Anderson struggled off with a rib injury than Peterhead took a 44th minute lead, Callum MacDonald rising at the back post to nod home a Stuart Smith corner.

The game the hung in the balance until the penalties drama at the death which sent Peterhead to a flattering winning margin. No one saw Marshall's alleged hand ball, apart from Mr Boyle, for the first spot-kick which Mann clinically despatched.

A minute later, Henderson put in a regulation shoulder challenge on Stuart McKay and after Forrest was sent packing, Mann slotted home his second quickfire penalty.

STAR MEN: ***Dean Keenan; **Neil McGowan; *Mark McGeown.

AYR: McGeown; Forrest, Lowing; McGowan, Henderson, Easton (McLeod 66); Vareille, Keenan, Wardlaw, Williams, Anderson (Marshall 63). Unused subs: Stewart, Staunton, Pettigrew.

PETERHEAD: Kula; Donald, Smith; Mann, MacDonald, McVitie; Sharp, Munro, Bavidge (Istead 87), Anderson, McKay. Unused subs: Bruce, Cowie, Bowden, Bagshaw.

Referee: Chris Boyle; Crowd: 1100.