LADY LUCK DESERTS THE LINGERS

Manager Dixie Dean was left fuming at replacement referee Frank Meilack for awarding Hassocks a highly controversial penalty which settled the outcome and denying the hosts a blatant spot-kick.

It was all rough justice on Lingfield who had deserved a share of the spoils at least with many players producing impressive performances which went unrewarded cruelly.

After 20 minutes referee Theo Parfitt suffered a leg injury which required a five-minute delay before being replaced by assistant referee Meilack with Eddie Potter continuing on the touchlines, being joined by qualified referee Roy Driscoll who was drafted in as a further replacement.

Something had to give between two high-flying sides who had been unbeaten in league action so far this term, and, although Hassocks produced a typically slick performance, there was precious little to choose between both sides.

The first key moment arrived after 26 minutes when home captain Gareth Graham’s free-kick from just outside the penalty area appeared to rebound to safety off the far post with centre-back Jay Kalama on hand to no avail.

Dean was incensed three minutes into first-half stoppage-time as Harry Sintim appeared to be brought down by Lee Bryant inside the box following outstanding midfielder Jake Hill’s superb through ball on his first starting appearance this term, but Meilack rejected The Lingers’ appeals for a spot-kick.

To add insult to injury, Meilack awarded the visitors a hotly contested penalty on the hour mark, prolific scorer Phil Gault beating Dan Burnett from 12 yards after Kalama’s adjudged foul on Phil Johnson which had appeared to be just outside the box in any case.

Unbelievably, The Lingers’ midfielder Daryl Coleman saw his 25 yard shot rebound to safety via the crossbar after 66 minutes and then saw his effort hit a post four minutes later as the hosts realised that this was not to be their day.

In a desperate late move, centre-back Fred Fleming became a makeshift striker, but even six additional minutes could not save The Lingers from their first league loss, providing such a bitter pill to swallow.

By David Groves