Ebbsfleet United 0-1 Histon - Daish rant at ten-card trick referee

But these two sides that were vying for play-off places in the Blue Square Premier, were left in the incapable hands of Essex referee Mr John Hopkins.

The Wickford official showed a total number of TEN cards during the game - six yellow’s for the Fleet - a second booking and therefore a red to left-back Darius Charles - and three for a Histon side that adopted dull long-ball tactics.

However, those tactics had the desired effect as striker, Damian Reeves scored his fifth goal of the season, with an audacious over-head kick, 45 seconds into first half stoppage time to send Histon into second place in the table after thirteen games.

It was the Fleet’s first defeat of the season at Stonebridge Road and the good crowd of 1,226 - and the watching millions on Setanta - were left bewildered by Mr Hopkins’ performance.

Mr Hopkins was a man that brandished a total number of TEN cards, even though only 18 FOULS had been committed by both sides and not once had either physio entered the field off play. It was NOT a dirty game!

Daish’s men would have climbed into third place had they avoided defeat, but Reeves’ contribution on the stroke of half-time, ensured the Cambridgeshire side have now beaten the Fleet in their last three league meetings.

Ebbsfleet United’s best goalscoring chances, however, arrived during the first half.

Striker Luke Moore’s right-footed half-volley from 20-yards, from the left-hand side, left goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt rooted to the spot, although the ball dropped just past the far post.

Histon’s best chance, however, arrived half-way through the first half when right-sided midfielder Antonio Murray drilled a shot across goalkeeper Lance Cronin as the ball flashed just past the far post.

That was just after Fleet striker Michal Gash’s glancing header brought a comfortable low save by Naisbitt, low to his left.

But the Kent side’s best chances to break the deadlock, however, arrived from two Neil Barrett headers.

The central midfielder met Ricky Shakes’ whipped in cross from the right with a thumping, towering header, which sailed agonisingly past the left-hand post.

Then, his second header brought a comfortable low save from Naisbitt.

Ebbsfleet United had claims for a penalty turned down by Mr Hopkins in the 41^st minute when Moore hooked the ball over his shoulder and the ball struck Matthew Langston’s raised left hand.

But Histon dealt the killer blow, grabbing the lead, against the run of play, at the end of the first half.

Gareth Gwillim launched a trademark Histon attack with a throw into the penalty area and the ball was flicked on twice by Jack Midson and Matthew Mitchel King and Reeves’ right-footed over-head kick gave Cronin no chance as it flew across him and into the net.

That blow knocked the stuffing out of the Fleet’s performance - as did the cards coming out of the referee’s pocket.

Histon almost doubled their lead after 52 minutes. A cross from Midson down the left was headed clear by Charles and the ball dropped nicely for Josh Simpson to crack a right-footed volley, which brought a smart save from Cronin.

Simpson then whipped in a cross from the right and this was met by Jamie Barker’s thumping header, which was comfortably saved.

However, around the hour-mark, Fleet striker Michael Gash didn’t finish off Moore’s lifted ball across the face of goal, and at the other end, Jamie Barker glanced his header just past the post.

Ebbsfleet United almost grabbed an equaliser after 65 minutes when Stacy Long’s corner was met by Gash’s header and this was cleared off the line by Gwillim.

Four minutes later, Charles’ cross from the left was met by another Gash header, but the former Cambridge City striker cleared the crossbar.

Histon then made a double change and one of these substitutes, striker Danny Wright, almost doubled their lead with an angled drive that landed onto the roof of the net.

But Fleet were reduced to ten men with three minutes left when Charles, who was booked for dissent just four minutes earlier, was shown his second yellow (and then a red).

Charles picked up the ball and went on a mazy run towards Histon’s penalty area and after evading two challenges, slid to the ground following Murray’s challenge. Expecting a Fleet free-kick in a dangerous position, Mr Hopkins pointed the other way and reached for his pocket and out popped a yellow and then a red and stunned Charles disappeared down the tunnel, banging, what sounded like the dressing room door, in the process.

The decision enraged the Stonebridge Road faithful and moments later the public address announced had confirmed that Charles was indeed the man-of-the-match.

After his interview for Setanta, Daish was still raging when he faced the sympathetic Kent media.

“We haven’t won against them obviously,” Daish told www.kentishfootball.co.uk. “They’ve always been tight affairs and looking back over the last two results, I remember playing at Histon as well, at their place last year. I remember being undone by a referee up there as well.”

Daish wanted to express his feelings towards the Essex official’s performance.

“Lets pursue. I think that was totally such a poor performance,” Daish complained.

“I’ve seen the replay’s, we’ve (should have) had a penalty in the first half, it’s hit both the players hands from Luke Moore. He’s raised his hands stopping the ball go into the danger area.”

Daish, however, was perplexed over Mr Hopkins’ decision to send off the impressive Charles.

“He’s missed that Darius has been knocked three times before he’s gone to ground,” said Daish.

“He’s run at them at pace and then outside the box he goes and he’s gone to ground, but on the video he’s getting up trying to get the ball back because he’s an honest lad.

“What I’ve said to the TV people, he’s got to be one of the honest players I’ll ever work with, great kid, honest as the day’s long, just want to be a player and you’ve got someone, never probably played football, doesn’t know the game (who sends him off).

“In that sense, stopped the kid playing football on a suspension, taking money out of his pocket with his appearance money and his possible win bonus.”

Daish wants the League’s top-brass to investigate the performance of tonight’s referee, although he could only praise Charles’ impressive display.

He said: “I’d like to see what the assessors say and people who sit up there and watch. I’d like to hear their opinion.

“They’ll move on, it won’t bother him (Mr Hopkins) too much. He’ll get up tomorrow, go down the gym or whatever he does and he’ll move on.

“Darius, who was the best player on the pitch by a long chalk, I thought. Two good sides, he was head and shoulders I thought - he was different class.

“I asked him to play at left-back today. He is not going to play. He will miss his game of football (at Kidderminster Harriers) on Saturday and he shouldn’t be.”

Ebbsfleet United: Lance Cronin, Mark Ricketts (Danny Slatter 79), Darius Charles, Dean Pooley, Paul McCarthy, Neil Barrett (Craig Stone 56), Jamie Hand, Stacy Long, Ricky Shakes (Kezie Ibe 80), Luke Moore, Michael Gash.
Subs: Sam Mott, James Smith.

Booked: Neil Barrett 39, Michael Gash 63, Dean Pooley 76, Darius Charles 83, Paul McCarthy 90, Jamie Hand 90

Sent off: Darius Charles 87

Histon: Danny Naisbitt, Patrick Ada, Matthew Langston, Matthew Mitchel King, Gareth Gwillim, Lanre Oyebanjo, Josh Simpson, Antonio Murray, Jamie Barker (Nathaniel Knight Percival 69), Jack Midson, Damian Reeves (Danny Wright 69).
Subs: Joe Welch, Craig Pope, Neil Andrews.

Goals: Damian Reeves 45

Booked: Antonio Murray 77, Jack Midson 90, Matthew Mitchel King 90

Attendance: 1,226
Referee: Mr John Hopkins (Wickford, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Mark Patterson (Ipswich, Suffolk) & Mr Shon Meale (Norwich, Norfolk)
Fourth Official: Mr Keith Yeo