Neither side created much in the first half hour and there were some heavy sliding tackles that the referee took exception to. The assistant on the near touchline missed a number of Poole offsides but they were unable to take advantage until a Bemerton player handled in the box and conceded a penalty.
Top scorer Charlie Austin placed the ball in front of the spot, forcing the referee to respot the ball due to the loud protests from the local supporters. Austin then walked forward, picked up the ball and put it back in front of the spot again. This time the referee didn’t take any action and the distraction worked as it seemed to divert the keeper’s attention. He dived to his left, only to see the ball rolled along the ground to his right and into the goal. Austin then ran to the corner flag and used it like a punchbag in his celebration. This didn’t go down too well as it was in front of the Bemerton support and the atmosphere on the covered terrace turned very sour.
One Poole fan on the terrace started to slag Bemerton off for not ‘enjoying the goal’ and ended up in a verbal slanging match with the Bemerton Chairman. The supporter was lucky not to be asked to leave as he continued his arrogant sniping about the team, the officials and the ground before commenting that he wouldn’t miss coming to this ground when Poole got promoted. It will be interesting to see if he turns up next season if Poole’s ground isn’t passed for Southern League football!
The atmosphere was bad on the pitch as well – two minutes after the goal Bemerton were reduced to ten men when a second yellow card was given for a late sliding tackle. Near the end of the half, Poole should have been reduced to ten men as well when a late, studs up, pre-meditated tackle almost broke a Bemerton ankle but was only deemed worthy of a yellow card by the referee.
In the second half Bemerton managed a couple of decent attempts at an equaliser. In the 60th minute a shot went just past the post from a corner when the keeper was still off his line. Five minutes later and the keeper just got his fingertip to a shot from the right, which was enough to push it onto the post.
In the 75th minute, Poole increased their lead from a corner. The ball was floated in for Taffy Richardson to head – although it was blocked near the line, the ball fell to Luke Whitley who swept it in to the net. After the goal, Bemerton manager Ian Chalk had some strong words with the referee about something he was unhappy with. Chalkie was sent from the dugout but instead of walking away, stayed where he was, had another verbal rant at the referee who was walking away and was sent off again.
The game was restarted as he walked down the touchline and as the ball was passed into the far corner, it looked like he tripped a Poole player as he went past. The referee decided it was the Bemerton player running alongside the Poole player and gave him a yellow card. By the end of the game Bemerton had received 10 bookings, 1 red card and a managerial sending off. They had also used all 3 subs (some of whom were included in the booking count!).
The lack of discipline spread to Poole and two of their experienced players. Brown and Richardson had a huge row after Richardson picked up ball in midfield, ran back under pressure and gave ball to keeper to clear rather than pass to a teammate. In the end the referee had to intervene as the language got worse and it was no surprise when Richardson was substituted a few minutes later.
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