Welsh blasts referee's performance in Frickley clash

Andy Welsh was fuming with the referee's performance in yesterday's win over Frickley.

Welsh described it as one of the "worst" refereeing performances he had witnessed as Ossett won a feisty derby 4-3.

The former Sunderland star was aggrieved by Brett Souter's sending off for a foul on Jacob Hazel in the 83rd minute.

He also felt that a free-kick awarded to Athletic in the 89th minute, which led to the visitor's third goal, should not have been given.

"I am questioning the referees at this level, I am," said Welsh.

"They tell them that they are getting observed before the game. So I hope today that the assessor is looking at that and he is getting a telling off in there.

"Because that is one of the worst performances I have seen from a referee for a long time.

"The free-kick at the end, was never a free-kick. The sending off for Brett Souter, we have two players covering, one of them gets the ball. Their guy isn't getting there before, it is not a sending off.

Tom Corner's goal had put Ossett 3-2 ahead.

"They are getting told now that it is a booking, so I don't get why is he sending him off. We are going to lose our number one keeper now for three games.

"We are at a level now where Brett is going to lose money because he can't play. There was no malice in it whatsoever.

"I'm buzzing we got the result, but it is bittersweet because the referee was poor today.

"And I think it showed, there was a melee at the end which showed that he didn't handle things well."

Frickley's Phil Watt was given his marching orders for his part in the melee that had formed when Andy Monkhouse won the game for United in the final minute.

Ossett had gone 2-0 up at Ingfield thanks to goals from Tom Greaves and Adam Priestley.

But the visitors pulled level thanks to Sam Cable and Jacob Hazel but they weren't level for long as Tom Corner soon put Ossett back in front.

United looked like they were destined for another draw when Danny Rowe curled in a free-kick in the last minute of normal time.

But Monkhouse soon had Ingfield cheering again when he finished from a corner with the last kick of the game.

Welsh added: ""If I'm honest, I was starting to come to a point where I was a bit disappointed for the lads. Those first two goals, we should have dealt with them.

"I always say to the lads, if you let people punch you on the nose, it is going to come back and bite you.

"That was a big win for us today, make no bones about it. For me, that is the way I want to manage, that is the way I want Ossett United to go forward.

"To be a never-say-die club and a never-say-die team. Because one thing you can say about this group of players is that they have the spirit, we don't like getting beat, so I am delighted with that today."