HEYBRIDGE: Swifts boss fumes at disallowed goal

FUMING Heybridge Swifts manager Wayne Bond couldn't believe his side were disallowed a goal at the weekend after the ball appeared to go through a hole in the net.

Bond thought his promotion chasing side had earned all three points at Waltham Forest when a late Ryan O'Rawe shot hit the inside of the post and went through the goal on to an athletics track, but the officials chalked it off thinking the ball had gone wide.

They also accused Bond's assistant manager Mark Hawkes of tampering with the net, which he denies.

In a game of bizarre incidents the referee David Buck was then knocked out later in the match after the ball struck the back of his neck – at that point and after the game he told Bond he couldn't remember the whole day let alone the goal that wasn't given.

"It's the first time this has ever happened to me and I hope it's the last," raged Bond.

"I think the reaction of the players showed it was a goal, Waltham were on their knees at that point, there were only 13 minutes left and it was 1-1 that would have made it 2-1 to us.

"Those two points dropped could prove to be really crucial at the end of the season, I wasn't too impressed with the reaction of the Waltham players at the end either, they were laughing and joking about it and I know it's funny when it hasn't happened to you but it's not funny for me, I still can't believe it."

Bond says there is little recourse for the incident even though they have video evidence it doesn't prove conclusive.

"What can we do really?" he said.

"There was that goal in the game between Reading and Watford that was given as a goal and it wasn't so if that happens in a professional match I can't see it being any different in the Ryman League Division One North, but I think something needs to be done about the inadequacy of the officiating at this level, nothing ever seems to happen to them if they do something wrong."

Bond now feels his side have to win every remaining fixture to be in with a chance of promotion.

"We shouldn't even really be talking about the hole in the goal because they were down to 10 men and at 1-1 we should have finished it off and we didn't play well at all. We even hit the crossbar late in the game, but it wasn't our day.

"I had some choice words to say about the game and I'm deeply frustrated by what has happened – it's the strangest game I have ever been involved in."

Bond hopes to have Luke Fisher in the side for Saturday's game against Northwood after a back injury and Adam Brotherton is nearing full fitness after a broken ankle.