Musselburgh Athletic 1-2 Newtongrange Star: Athletic boss slams ref as Gray sees red and Star win

Published on Monday 8 February 2010 10:17

FURIOUS Musselburgh manager David McGlynn accused referee Gavin Ross of "cheating" his team by turning this East Region Super League clash on its head with a controversial sending off in the second-half.

McGlynn was adamant the official had been influenced by the Newtongrange fans when he showed left-back Chris Gray a straight red card in the 62nd minute.

Gray's foul on Alan Brown was committed right in front of the visiting supporters in the covered enclosure at Olivebank and McGlynn believes their reaction led to his team being reduced to ten.

Musselburgh had been looking comfortable as they held on to a 1-0 lead thanks to Matti King's first-half header but Scott McCulloch nodded home the equaliser just two minutes after Gray's dismissal before Grant Meaney grabbed the winner with 17 minutes to go.

"We were blatantly cheated," blasted McGlynn afterwards. "I don't like going on about officials but I've got 16 guys in there who are gutted. We were dominant in the game yet have been killed by a decision like that. Their crowd got the player sent off. The boy didn't need any treatment, got up and my player said sorry to him.

"Yes, it was a yellow card but it was no different to one in the first half when one of their players got booked for a similar challenge.

"If it was anywhere else on the park, I don't think he'd have sent him off and the annoying thing is that it turned the game."

McGlynn's frustration was perfectly understandable. His side started the game really well, deservedly got their noses in front and, at 11 v 11, looked as though they were going to pick up the three points in this battle of the two sides promoted from the Premier Division last season.

Their goal came in the 38th minute, Adam Nelson whipping in a great free-kick that was just asking to be put away and King duly obliged with a close-range header.

Gray rattled the top of the crossbar a minute later before King squandered a great change to double his tally, the striker doing the hard work as he burst into the box only to shoot straight at visiting goalkeeper Chris Hill.

When Gray hit the bar again early in the second-half, he must have been starting to think it wasn't going to be his day, and there was no doubt that the foul he committed to earn that early bath wasn't any worse than one that saw McCulloch receive a yellow card in the first-half.

Prior to the dismissal, Hill pulled off two excellent saves to stop Musselburgh extending their lead, first tipping over a good effort from Ryan McCallum and then getting down well to gather a shot from Kris Renton that had taken a deflection.

The Newtongrange equaliser stemmed from a great ball in from the left that picked out the giant McCulloch and he planted a header past the helpless Kieron Renton, who'd had little of note to deal with until that point.

With Stuart Roseburgh having replaced Ubong Umatang, Newtongrange started to look a bit livelier up front and they made their numerical advantage count when Meaney burst into the box and beat Renton with a cheeky little dink.

"For 60-65 minutes we were in control and Louis (Armstrong] said to me afterwards that he felt they had got out of jail in this one," added McGlynn.

"We were robbed and it really is so frustrating because that would have been a vital three points for us in our bid to stay away from the relegation zone.

"But I've said to my players that if they keep playing like that for the rest of the season we won't have any worries."

The win has moved Newtongrange to within four points of leaders Bo'ness after their slip up at home to Kelty and Armstrong was delighted with the outcome on a day when he felt too many of his players were off colour.

"Musselburgh started like trains and then we had a good spell for about 20 minutes. But we fell out of when they scored and then didn't really get back into it. Musselburgh were the better team and deserved their lead at time. But it is hard with ten men and I'm delighted with the result.

I thought six of our players did really well while five played really poorly. That's not enough – you need eight or nine playing well at this level."

Looking ahead to his side's last-16 clash with Tayport in the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup, Armstrong added: "We will need to play better."

Musselburgh: Kieron Renton, Gordon, Gray, Shand, Gibson, Nelson, King, Porteous (Fraser 67), McCallum (Tansy 72), Kris Renton (Graham 80), Beveridge. Subs: McKenna, Doherty, Crolla, Ramage.

Newtongrange Star: Hill, R Fairbairn (Gourlay 65), Forbes, McNicoll, White, Gielty, Brown, Thompson, Umatang (Roseburgh 62), Meaney (McKenzie 89), McCulloch. Subs: A Fairbairn, Patton, Woodburn, Lunn.

Referee: Gavin Ross.