Nathan Jones unhappy with officials

Posted Sunday, February 25, 2018 by PA

Luton boss Nathan Jones was less than impressed with referee Mark Heywood during his side’s 2-2 draw against Cheltenham.

Early in the second half, the Hatters, trailing 1-0, looked to have levelled as Olly Lee scored from James Justin’s cross but official Heywood had already blown for a foul on striker James Collins.

Collins saw his penalty saved by Ross Flinders as Mohammed Eisa made it 2-0 soon after, before Town fought back.

Jones said: “The game turned in that three-minute period, that’s really why we haven’t won the game.

“I can’t say too much about the referee but I never come off the pitch with this referee and say you’ve had a really good game there.

“But all he had to do was wait. The only reason we’re talking about it is because we’ve missed a penalty.

“We still should score that penalty and then marked him down at the end of the game, but he’s only got to let it go a second and it’s a goal.

“He didn’t need to give the penalty, if he waited, saw how it panned out, as he’s given it as he’d seen the shirt grab.

“He knows it’s a pen so let it pan out but he didn’t and it’s disappointing.”

Cheltenham boss Gary Johnson said: “I didn’t think that was a penalty. I’d be really upset if I was the Luton manager and had the ball in the net.

“But he’d already blown and so he’s got to give the penalty because he’d already blown before the ball went into the net.

“Of course, I’d be like Nathan, I’m sure he was very upset. I didn’t look at him.

“I thought the second save, from when the ball rebounded back to him, was unbelievable. I thought that was absolutely magnificent because he had to be brave. How he’s got it over the bar I do not know.

“We can take positives from it. I’m not going to be going home and kicking the cat, if I had one.”