Exeter assistant Kevin Nicholson slammed the referee after his side’s controversial 0-0 draw at Lincoln in League One.
Nicholson was taking media duties after manager Gary Caldwell was sent off for his reaction after a potential stoppage-time winner from Ryan Trevitt was ruled out for an Angus MacDonald handball.
And Nicholson said: “It’s really frustrating because we had a gameplan and the players played it to perfection.
“There were some top individual performances and some top defending all to allow us for when our chance came, if it gets taken, we win that game.
“We’ve done everything, including scoring a perfectly good goal, which has been taken away apparently for handball. It’s very hard to explain.
“You’re not allowed to talk to (the officials) for a certain time after because they lock themselves away and have their chats.
“We’ll see what he comes back with. But in a 50-50 game, the inconsistency of the decisions and the frustration that builds puts the ref in a really difficult decision because of course there’s going to be emotion on the sidelines.
“From our point of view it’s really disappointing that something that we can’t control has taken away from what would have been a great three points.
“It’s frustrating. It’s something we can’t control. The ref’s had a bad game. You don’t want to come out and bash officials, but today I think we’re all in agreement that it was particularly poor.”
Although it was the Grecians who almost stole a late winner, Michael Skubala’s Imps had the better of the chances.
But they failed to unlock the door, with Tom Bayliss heading against the crossbar and Joe Whitworth making a great save to keep out Jovon Makama.
Skubala said: “I thought we were the better team. We did everything we could, but we didn’t have the quality in the final third.
“It was a good performance, but we just couldn’t get that goal. We had half chances, we had set pieces. If we get the first goal I think we would have scored two or three.
“We expected them to play a little, but like a lot of teams this season they’ve come here and stodged it up.
“We’ve got to have that bit of extra quality to score and then when you get that goal the game opens up.
“I was frustrated with the result, but I thought the performance was good once again.
“I’m not sure if it’s handball. There are lots of bodies in there and I’ve not watched it back. It might have been, it might have not.
“We totally dominated them second half and, for me, there was only one team who wanted to win it. I didn’t see another team who wanted to win it, I saw a team who didn’t want to lose.”
Notts County all-but guaranteed their place in the League Two play-offs courtesy of a 3-1 victory at Harrogate.The Magpies ended their four-match winless run thanks to Conor Grant’s second-half brace, leaving them fifth in the table and six points clear of eighth-placed Colchester.County took the lead in the 33rd minute when George Abbott fired home after David McGoldrick’s initial eff...
Luton climbed out of the Championship bottom three for the first time since January thanks to Shandon Baptiste’s 90th-minute goal as they beat play-off chasing Coventry 1-0.The Hatters looked like they would go to West Brom next weekend with their destiny definitely out of their own hands, only for Baptiste, who had been on the field for just 11 minutes, to find the net and lift the roof off...
Leyton Orient remain on course for the Sky Bet League One play-offs after a 1-0 win which dented Wycombe’s hopes of automatic promotion.Randell Williams scored the only goal of the game and Orient’s victory, their fifth in succession, leaves them ahead of seventh-placed Reading on goal difference.Defeat for the Chairboys, though, has handed the initiative to Wrexham, who could seal the...
Doncaster clinched promotion to League One after goals from Rob Street and Billy Sharp secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Yorkshire rivals Bradford.In an incident-packed encounter in front of over 12,500 fans – the Eco-Power Stadium’s biggest crowd of the season – Doncaster hit the post through Jordan Gibson before on-loan Lincoln striker Street gave Rovers a 33rd-minute lead with his...
Reading’s hunt for a Sky Bet League One play-off spot will go to the final day of the season after the Royals beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.Lewis Wing’s eighth league goal of the season after 67 minutes and Chem Campbell’s added-time effort leaves the Pirates staring at relegation after Noel Hunt’s side had to survive a first-half onslaught from the hosts....
Jamie Andrews struck a late equaliser as Woking twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Eastleigh in the National League.Tyrese Shade put the visitors in front after 14 minutes, played in on goal by Ben Close before finding the bottom corner of the net.Woking then drew level three minutes before the break when Aiden O’Brien headed in from Jacob Jones’ free-kick.Shade had Eastleigh back...
Port Vale secured automatic promotion to League One after beating AFC Wimbledon 2-0 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.Second-half goals by Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Hedley ensured Vale would finish in the top three and also made a dent in the home side’s push for the play-offs.Vale created the first real attempt of the game which saw Lorent Tolaj fire over from 12 yards out following a cros...
Zian Flemming and Jeremy Sarmiento both scored twice as Burnley emphatically maintained their Championship title hopes by hammering QPR 5-0 in their penultimate match of the season.Josh Cullen also netted in a one-sided game as the Clarets, already promoted along with Leeds, won with ease to move to the top of the table, three points ahead of the Yorkshire side.However, Leeds, who are at home to B...
Nicolas Jackson ended his long goal drought to fire Chelsea a step nearer to the Champions League with a 1-0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge.A dominant display was capped by the winning goal scored midway through the first half, the striker’s first since December 15 finished confidently from 20 yards past Jordan Pickford as though he had been scoring every week, as suspended head coac...
Celtic clinched the William Hill Premiership title in style with a 5-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice.Nicolas Kuhn and substitute Adam Idah both hit doubles after Ryan Strain’s 30th-minute own-goal kicked off the rout.Celtic had only needed a point but they wrapped up their fourth consecutive championship in similar fashion to last year, when a 5-0 win at Kilmarnock earned Brendan R...
- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 3 Man Utd & Man City join PSG in race for Akliouche
- 4 We always have a chance – Miron Muslic bullish as Plymouth boost survival hopes
- 5 Tottenham to compete with Man City for defender
- 6 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 7 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola fumes over point claimed at 10-man Crystal Palace
- 10 Daily Laugh - Totttenham 1-2 N Forest