Match 9 - Biz Soc vs Cripps Old Boys

Today I had a top of the table encounter to take charge of. Both Biz Soc and Cripps were unbeaten so far this term, so this was a significant game. Luke assisted me by running one of the lines. The Cripps players arrived late, and so we didn't start until 2.15. Crucially, Cripps won the toss and chose to play with the wind behind them in the first half, a decision which was to prove crucial.

To say Cripps dominated the opening 15 minutes is an understatement! With the wind behind them, they were swarming all over Biz Soc. The Cripps players want name checks for all their goals, but I'll be blown if I can remember who scored them all! They took the lead in the 3rd minute, and doubled it on 6 minutes as I waved down an offside flag from the Biz Soc linesman, who wasn't exactly reliable or impartial in his decision making. In the 15th minute it became three, and again there was a hint of controversy, as the ball struck an arm in the build up. Enzo was jumping for the ball with his arms out, so I ruled it accidental when it hit his elbow and allowed the goal. Again, the linesman's flag was up but I had made my decision and stuck to it. I tried to keep this consistency, and when a similar incident occured with the ball hitting a Biz Soc player's hand, I again let play go on (although this time it was in the centre circle). Luke agreed that it wasn't handball too.

The start of the game was quite tetchy, and soon after the third goal a Biz Soc player took out a Cripps player completely after the ball had gone. The ball fell to a forward so I allowed the advantage, and then decided to have a word with him rather than showing a yellow card. It was perhaps risky to do so, but he caused me no further trouble later in the game, so I was perhaps justified in the end. The tension was palpable and I knew I'd have to keep a fairly close grip on proceedings, but I didn't want to stifle the game completely. Its a delicate balance but the game seemed to settle down as we headed towards half-time, with Cripps adding two further goals, making full use of having the wind behind them. For Biz Soc it was damage limitation, and the half-time score of 5-0 reflected Cripps' dominance.

The big question, of course, was whether Biz Soc could then get back into the game with the wind behind them. They started to have much more of play, but were unable to create any real clearcut chances until it was too late. The second half was a bit easier to referee, although there were still some arguments going on around the pitch, and the players sometimes thought I wasn't giving free kicks where I should have done. I didn't want to make the game too stop-start, and still tried to play advantage where I could. I gather that one Cripps player indulged in a retaliatory kick out after the ball had gone when he had been fouled, but Luke chose not to bring it to my attention - I might have shown a yellow card, although by that stage the game had settled down. The Cripps players were also pretty mouthy, making their feelings known to me, and towards the end I was contemplating showing a yellow card or two for dissent. In the end, at the point where I contemplated showing a card they kept their mouths shut. The Biz Soc linesman didn't help, although they also chose to abuse Luke as well, but I was confident in his decisions.

In terms of the scoring, the second half finished 1-1, with Cripps adding a sixth before Biz Soc finally got one back with six minutes to go. Both teams had chances to add to the scores - Cripps managed to fluff a couple of great opportunities while Biz Soc lacked real threat in front of goal, and couldn't make the most of the chances they had. The scoreline of 6-1 was perhaps a little harsh, although it can't be denied that Cripps were the better team and deserved their win.

I was happy with my performance. The game had been under control but had some flow to it. Once again, I had been communicating with the players throughout the match and during the second half I felt very comfortable with my control. Of course there were decisions I perhaps didn't get right, but for the most part I felt happy with what I had given. The game was more difficult than those I've done in previous weeks, but I still felt I handled the match well. I was surprised I didn't end up showing a yellow card, but with the job done I'm happy that I didn't need to do so in the end.

I'm on a good run of matches at the moment, although with Easter on the horizon I'll soon have a break. Nonetheless, its good that I'm enjoying my refereeing more than ever and think I am performing at my best at the end of my three years here in Nottingham. Lets hope I continue to do so on Wednesday!