Sarge
God like member
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- 6 Dec 2017
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Declan Bourne is yet another match official in his first season a an EFL (lower league) referee
In the main I thought he let the game flow reasonably well, that said Bourne is like many EFL lower league referees last, and more evidently this ,campaign too, he seemed oblivious to constant shirt pulling, niggly elbowing/ ankle-tapping, blatant diving, and kicking/ throwing the ball away dished out by the opposition.... yet doled out 3 (?- possibly more) yellow cards to Oxford players. The FA powers that be IMO need to tighten up on shirt pulling and the like that is rife this season, yet appears to go unpunished
Holmes, Hoskins and Smith notably, but not exclusively, IMO should have been yellow carded early in the first half ( for constantly doling out all of the aforementioned elements of the dark arts) , but they weren't!
Another noticeable 'blindness' was evident from the Assistant referee ( in front of East Stand end of SSL) who by nature of his title, is supposed to, presumably assist the referee. All manner of dark arts happened in front of him in both halves of the match, yet he either did/said nothing - or was overruled by the inexperienced Bourne? Either way, it wasn't right.
How Northampton's keeper wasn't red carded after raising his hands and pushing Matty Taylor after an attempt on goal when the U's were 1-0 up was a strange decision too
Maybe Bourne prefers a 'calm it down' word - so how come Oxford players were cautioned for nothing challenges then?
Apart from not picking up on the dark art tactics of Curles's donkeys - as has been the case with most officials in L1 games - where shirt pulling and the like is ,apparently, acceptable and goes unpunished, and despite N'ton's aim to stop- start the game at every opportunity, Bourne did, in the main, attempt to let the game flow IMO
Im probably being extra generous in giving Bourne 5/10 , 'influenced' by the euphoric high of seeing my team play fast flowing football , scoring 4 in the process, against a shower of anti footballing cloggers
In the main I thought he let the game flow reasonably well, that said Bourne is like many EFL lower league referees last, and more evidently this ,campaign too, he seemed oblivious to constant shirt pulling, niggly elbowing/ ankle-tapping, blatant diving, and kicking/ throwing the ball away dished out by the opposition.... yet doled out 3 (?- possibly more) yellow cards to Oxford players. The FA powers that be IMO need to tighten up on shirt pulling and the like that is rife this season, yet appears to go unpunished
Holmes, Hoskins and Smith notably, but not exclusively, IMO should have been yellow carded early in the first half ( for constantly doling out all of the aforementioned elements of the dark arts) , but they weren't!
Another noticeable 'blindness' was evident from the Assistant referee ( in front of East Stand end of SSL) who by nature of his title, is supposed to, presumably assist the referee. All manner of dark arts happened in front of him in both halves of the match, yet he either did/said nothing - or was overruled by the inexperienced Bourne? Either way, it wasn't right.
How Northampton's keeper wasn't red carded after raising his hands and pushing Matty Taylor after an attempt on goal when the U's were 1-0 up was a strange decision too
Maybe Bourne prefers a 'calm it down' word - so how come Oxford players were cautioned for nothing challenges then?
Apart from not picking up on the dark art tactics of Curles's donkeys - as has been the case with most officials in L1 games - where shirt pulling and the like is ,apparently, acceptable and goes unpunished, and despite N'ton's aim to stop- start the game at every opportunity, Bourne did, in the main, attempt to let the game flow IMO
Im probably being extra generous in giving Bourne 5/10 , 'influenced' by the euphoric high of seeing my team play fast flowing football , scoring 4 in the process, against a shower of anti footballing cloggers
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