Official Match Report

Very disappointing and unsportsmanlike behaviour from Tarneit United SC, especially when the team started to lose the game. Tarneit United SC coach was very aggressive and disrespectful after the game making several accusations including the official (me) being a racist.

Please hear our side now: I am sorry to say that the referee in our match vs Sunbury yesterday does not tell the full story and is very disingenuous and you must learn of the full facts as they were. Obviously, it is important not just to hear one side which is the official ref but our side, the ground marshal, the Sunbury team officials as well as their coach who was not blind to what was taking place in the match. The first half had some minor incidents where the referee made some odd foul calls on Tarniet but my team focused and I kept just telling them to play the whistle while at the same time expressing some concern to the ground marshal and the ref. We were ahead 3-0 in the first half and then the ref decided to really make his refereeing focused on calling fouls only on Tarneit and most of his calls were seriously unnecessary calls against our team and the strange coincidence is when the ball was always close to our penalty box, free kick after free kick... Even the other team was surprised but they kept saying Ok we'll take it because they knew there was clearly no foul or incident for the calls. Then to push things even further because the free kicks near out box were not enough to get Sunbury a goal, the ref called 2 penalties against our team in succession. Both penalties were an error call and very questionable, the first penalty was when our player was running towards our goal to be in position and not even facing the ball when the ball was kicked by the opposition, the ball hit him on the back side and his arm and had no idea what happened; we could not believe that... The second penalty was a foul well outside the box and even the other team was near and they were also stumped but said the ref called it. Once Sunbury scored their 2nd goal (the 2nd penalty) my team was dejected and could not play as well as they did because the ref continued giving foul after foul to Sunbury. We had no issue with Sunbury 3rd and tying goal but the trend of bad calls against my team continue to the point my players just kept putting their hands up in a gesture as to what can they do when the ref is continuing to call everything against them...I do admit and rightfully I was upset for my players who were playing extremely well and they train had to do well on Sundays but this ref unfortunately ruined the match. To compound things further and to understand the length this ref was going to turn the game against Tarneit (don't take my word for it as I had a chat with the other team manager and coach and they did not try to lie about it but again said he's the ref) the ref played 44 minutes in the first half (Sunbury was attacking at end of first half and he just let the game continue). At half time I approached the ref and advised him that he played 44 minutes and he said for wasted time; to which I said there was no wasted time and also this division does not play wasted time. The ref said OK that he did not know that but guess what and I have this on video, the ref played almost 48 minutes in the second half and that is after Sunbury scored to tie the game at 3-3. Sundbury 4th goal was at 44 minutes and their 5th goal was at 47 minutes. Everyone watch the match could not believe it. I even have the coach from the other team after the game saying to me that he had the game finishing at 47 minutes. To hide this the, ref did not record none of the times of the goals scored.

We have lost many games already this season and we do lose fairly and do not complain but when the ref calls unnecessary fouls which clearly gives the opposition team advantageous proximity to our goal to score and then 2 penalties plus play almost 48 minutes to ensure the other team wins because they are being supported by his calls, that is really a disservice to my players who train hard. I did not call the ref a racist once and he does not have any proof, however, I did ask him why is it that he is not fair to my boys and that they train hard and expect at least to get fair referee.
We would like to launch a formal complaint against this ref and for the match to be replayed with a different ref. Or at least we ask for the 4th and 5th goals for Sunbury to be disqualified because they happened when the match was well over.