I did not swear at the ref, insists Hume

MAIDSTONE UNITED joint-manager Lloyd Hume looked on in disbelief as his side were on the end of a smash-and-grab raid by Tonbridge Angels today, writes Stephen McCartney.

Hume knows his side should have not lost to the Angels at a windy Bourne Park today.

But Meshach Nugent, Ian Cox and Elliot Bradbrook (twice) were thwarted by Angels goalkeeper Lee Worgan during a game that the Stones should have at least taken a point.

However, Fraser Logan’s free-kick was knocked down by Angels striker Carl Rook for his partner Jamie Cade to bundle the ball home from just a yard out.

The only goal of a disappointing game arrived at 48:38 - there was only supposed to be three minutes of time added on.

“I was saying on the side, with about ten minutes to go, to Tim (Warden) ‘it’s one of those days’, where we’ve controlled most of the game, Hume told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We’ve not really looked in any danger, up until a few set-pieces and they’ve not really created anything.

“I said ‘I just want the referee to blow the whistle’ which might be off when you’re at home and you feel you’re on top. But I can see the writing was on the wall.

“It was one of those days and sure enough the referee told me there was one minute to go and one minute 30 into that one minute they scored a goal that we defended poorly from. We switched off and we got punished.”

Midfielder Jay Saunders was red carded for swearing at the referee after Cade stole the points with only 82 seconds of the game remaining - and Hume was also red carded, although that decision was rescinded before the referee Mr John Rowbury left Bourne Park.

“Jay Saunders was sent off for swearing at the referee, which you can’t do today,” explained Hume.

Hume explained at the ground what he said to the Orpington official immediately after his side suffered their second defeat of the season.

“The referee is talking to our secretary and their secretary at the moment and he’s actually pondering whether he made a mistake with me,” Hume said.

“I got his attention, I asked him, well, I didn’t ask him, I said ‘referee,’ I got his attention, I didn’t shout or holler at him.

“He’s admitted that I wasn’t aggressive, he admitted that, and I said to him ‘that’s a crap decision and he’s cost us the game’ and for that he’s sent me off, which even these days is a bit harsh and in another game, probably wouldn’t happen. So hopefully common sense will prevail.”

Hume added: “I’m not disappointed about that, that doesn’t matter, what matters today is we haven’t got three points that, I think, we should have done.

“Their best player on the pitch, by a million miles, was their goalkeeper and he came out of the game with a lot of credit and unfortunately we haven’t got what we deserved, but you don’t always get what you deserve in football.”

Hume admitted the windy conditions put paid to a good game of football, but was left baffled on how his side lost the game to a Tonbridge Angels side that scored from their only chance on target.

“Wind always effects the game, it’s always really difficult to play in a windy game and anyone that’s played the game will know how hard it is,” said Hume.

“But I’ll add it again, we’ve created some good chances, we’ve played some good football at times and their keeper’s made four or five very, very good saves.

“I was (concerned) that we haven’t scored, when we were putting that pressure on but that’s football.

“Tonbridge have come here, they looked like a team that hasn’t won for a while. They battled really, really hard, they’ve done well, they put us under pressure at times.

“They’re a big, strong team and they got a goal from a set-piece, which is really the only way that they were going to get a goal today.”

Despite the crowd - 574 - being the Stones largest of the season so far, Hume was expecting a much bigger turn out from Angels’ fans’ today.

“I was surprised there wasn’t more Tonbridge fans here to be fair,” said Hume. “I was expecting a much bigger crowd and it looked like we came out in a fair number.

“It was quite quiet, it seemed fairly quiet on the pitch and to be honest, I’d rather it be like that (as) I wasn’t relishing playing Tonbridge today, because they needed to bounce back from a couple of defeats.

“We’ve been playing reasonably well and getting results and you’re on a hiding to nothing in these games and that’s the way it’s been proved today.

“I’m very disappointed that we haven’t managed to get at least a point out of it today.”

Maidstone United are on the road on Tuesday night - at Boreham Wood - before welcoming their Ryman Premier League rivals Tooting & Mitcham United to Bourne Park in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round next Saturday.

“We need to pick ourselves up, we’ve got a very long journey for a Tuesday night at Boreham Wood and there’s an opportunity to get (that) bad taste out of our mouths very quickly,” added Hume.

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk

Boreham Wood v Maidstone United
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 9^th September 2008
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Meadow Park, Broughinge Road, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire WD6 5AL