Match report: Boston United 3, Yeovil Town 2

NATIONWIDE LEAGUE DIVISION THREE

BOSTON UNITED 3, YEOVIL TOWN 2

STEVE SOWDEN REPORTS FROM YORK STREET

YEOVIL Town boss Gary Johnson finally lost his cool and his patience with referees when another inept performance by the match official probably cost his side a valuable victory and put a possible severe dent in their promotion aspirations in the Nationwide League Division Three.

Following on from the recent poor displays of referees such as Richard Beeby and Rob Styles, up stepped Eddie Ilderton at Boston United's York Street on Monday and his decision-making and inability to use that all too often underused philosophy of 'common sense' left Johnson enraged. Yeovil had gone into the half-time interval 2-1 down after Mr Ilderton had made a couple of strange and bizarre decisions that had left those on the Glovers' bench fuming.

And as soon as the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the first period, Johnson raced across the pitch to confront Mr Ilderton. Although you could not hear what was being said, you were left in no doubt that Johnson was certainly not talking about the weather or discussing the state of world affairs.

There was plenty of finger pointing and heated debate going on between the two and a York Street official had to step in between them. Johnson must have come close to have been shown a red card by the referee, but the Yeovil boss could not contain his anger and his body language clearly revealed he was extremely angry.

It is not often you could say that about Johnson, but it did appear as if the amiable gaffer had finally blown his top.

Johnson's anger stemmed from a totally bizarre situation less than ten minutes after Simon Weatherstone, the ex-Boston player, had given Yeovil the lead with a wonderful strike on his first return to his old stomping ground of York Street.

Midfielder Darren Way went down injured close to the Yeovil dugout, but it appeared as if Mr Ilderton told him to get off the pitch without even allowing physio Tony Farmer to come on to investigate the injury.

Mr Ilderton would then not allow Yeovil to bring on replacement Nick Crittenden and while confusion reigned and the Glovers were down to ten-men, Boston struck and equalised through Kevan Hurst.

The whole question of 'common sense' eluded Mr Ilderton on this occasion and Boston's equaliser unsettled Yeovil who had been incensed by his handling of the situation.

And Johnson said afterwards: "It was really poor by the referee. He told Darren to get up and go off and wouldn't allow us to stick on Critts and then Boston got their goal during that 30 seconds.

"It was the worst decision I have seen been made."

Following on from Yeovil's poor performance against Cheltenham Town on Saturday, the Glovers started to look slightly bereft of ideas despite having a new-look to the starting X1 containing the likes of Weatherstone, Adam Stansfield, Paul Terry and Lee Matthews playing as a lone striker.

The half-time interval could not have come quick enough for the Glovers as Boston controlled proceedings and Yeovil keeper Steve Collis had to be alert to pull off a fine save from Tom Bennett who turned and unleashed a good shot from the edge of the box.

But the Pilgrims took the lead just before the break when they were awarded a questionable free-kick out on the left flank and amazingly David Noble's effort was missed by everyone in the crowded box and nestled in the back of Collis' net.

The Yeovil players returned for the second period much sooner than their hosts - obviously having been given a roaring battle cry from the wound-up Johnson. Even when the gaffer emerged for the second-half you could tell he was still seething and at one point started to have a war of words with a section of the Boston fans standing close to the players' tunnel.

But whatever Johnson had said to his troops worked as Yeovil returned to their best and looked tigerish in the tackle and back to their infectious upbeat mood.

Stansfield, who had started the game playing down the left but had drifted in more to partner Matthews up front, was put through and he scored a fine goal past Boston keeper Paul Bastock to level in the 51st minute.

Minutes later and Yeovil should have been 3-2 up. Gavin Williams was fouled in the box by Boston skipper Paul Ellender and the Welsh wizard successfully converted his spot-kick, only for that man Mr Ilderton to say the penalty had to be retaken. On the second occasion Williams saw his effort saved by Bastock.

It was another decision that enraged Johnson and he admitted that he began to see if he could spot the referee's assessor sat in the main stand behind him to point out what was going on.

Johnson said: "The referee told us initially it had to be retaken because he hadn't blown his whistle, but then he said it was for encroachment. It was another wrong decision.

"Once again the men in black have given questionable decisions against us."

Yeovil were by now pumped up and the atmosphere inside the ground was reaching fever pitch as the Glovers began to press and probe Boston.

Stansfield went agonisingly close when his effort rebounded off the post to safety and more chances came and went for Williams, Lee Johnson, skipper Terry Skiverton (two), Stansfield again, Lockwood and Crittenden.

But with the game heading for a draw - which would have been Yeovil's fourth in succession - came a cruel twist of fate.

Yeovil defender Hugo Rodrigues, who had had a good match, tried to play the offside trap but Mr Ilderton and his assistant allowed the game to go on and Boston substitute Lee Thompson raced through and put the ball past the onrushing Collis and into the net. Many observers said that Thompson was several yards off-side, but the goal stood.

The Glovers only had time to restart the game before Mr Ilderton blew time and the Yeovil players sunk to their knees in disappointment.

Johnson, albeit furious with the referee, said he was pleased with the way his players had bounced back in the second period.

"The lads turned it around in the second-half and we could have had four or five goals," he said.

"But we have got done by a couple of decisions, rather than being done by Boston. He was the poorest referee I have come across.

"We needed to win more than Boston and I would have been disappointed if we had taken just one point from this game, but to lose everything right at the end was gut-wrenching."

Yeovil had taken the lead in the fourth minute when Weatherstone received the ball in midfield, moved forward and crashed the ball into the net from 20 yards out.

Johnson admitted afterwards that it was probably 'written in tablets of stone' that Weatherstone would score on his first return to York Street following his move to Yeovil from Boston in January.

Boston boss Steve Evans, the controversial figure who was at the centre of the financial Boston-gate saga a couple of years ago, said he was delighted with the win.

But he added: "Full credit to Yeovil. They threw the kitchen sink at us for long spells in the second-half.

"I was delighted that we got a late winner, but I would have been very happy with just a point from that match."

But it was a shame that once again a good match had been spoiled by the antics of the referee. It is a shame that referees are not accountable to anyone. Do they not realise that poor decisions can cost people their jobs and livelihoods?

One Football League manager once said that 'you would have to be a doughnut to want to be a referee' because it was a thankless task. But on current displays you could possibly suggest that the FA's bakery is nearing capacity with doughnuts.