Referee's often come in for insurmountable criticism at the highest levels of the professional game and has been visual in the past couple of weeks. Be it Wayne Rooney's elbowing incident on James McCarthy or Massimo Busacca's controversial sending off of Robin Van Persie against Barcelona the pressure is well and truly on. But it's not just at the top where officials are involved in contentious decision making, spare a thought for those in the lower divisions of English football and, for this week, the fans of Bristol Rovers.
When your down at the wrong end of the table everything seems to go against you as the Gas have found out this season and when Mr Brendan Malone waddled onto the pitch their luck was not about to change. Initially Rovers were the masters of their own demise, Jordan Rhodes, a late inclusion into the Huddersfield starting eleven, stretched his left leg up to waist height and volleyed into the far corner past Conrad Logan.
It could have easily gotten worse for the Gas as Joey Gudjonsson was given space just outside the area and sent a stinging drive off of Logan's right hand post, the ball rebounding to Rhodes who horribly sliced his shot wide of an open goal.
As the half grew on Rovers found themselves unable to create opportunities within the Terriers area and were left to shoot from range, Jeff Hughes forcing a fine diving save from Smithies and Gavin Williams bending an effort around the post. By this time the referee was not endearing himself to the home faithful with a couple of peculiar decisions but what was most notable was his lack inability to keep up with the play.
I'm not one to criticise people for their weight and fitness levels but for a man who gets paid to referee a professional football match Brendan Malone seemed unable to keep up with an end to end game of football. Not only that but the fact that it was his first season refereeing in the Football League was shown up.
The half ended with Will Hoskins swinging his left foot goalwards, only to see his effort fly over Alex Smithies crossbar.
In the second half Rovers came out and looked confident and began to play slightly further up the field, Kuffour coming on for Williams five minutes in to see Rovers change formation to play with a front two, it was visitors, however, who were to have the next big chance to score.
Scott Arfield was allowed to get to the Rovers byline and put the ball across goal, Conrad Logan making a bit of a meal of dealing with the cross and the ball bounced up and struck Danny Coles on the arm, a penalty being given after Malone consulted with his linesman. Rhodes was the man who had the chance to double Huddersfield's lead, his penalty, though, was poor and Logan saved with his legs as he dived across the goal.
Soon after the game was stopped for a good three minutes as referee Malone found himself unable to carry on officiating, his linesman taking his place on the field and he was to be no more popular with the home faithful than the previous incumbent.
Rovers continued to pepper Smithies goalmouth with no luck but as the game went into the final ten minutes Rovers began to use a secret weapon, the long throw of James Tunnicliffe. The on loan Brighton defender hurled the ball to the edge of Town's six yard area and Smithies came out to claim the ball, eventually getting underneath it, bundling it into the back of his own net. The Rovers celebrations were shortlived, though, the referee calling Chris Lines up for a foul in the back of the England youth international keeper, though replays show Smithies was surrounded by not only Lines but his own defenders.
The decision was debatable and Rovers player-manager Stuart Campbell had his own say post match, telling bristolrovers.co.uk:
"I thought it was a soft decision for the first disallowed goal, I thought the keeper misread the flight of the ball, and if anything it was his own player that clashed with him. I thought it should have been a goal for us."
Minutes later Jo Kuffour crossed from the edge of the area for Chris Lines to head goalwards, his shot producing an excellent save from the Huddersfield keeper who pushed the ball to the feet of Will Hoskins who turned the ball into the goal. But as he turned to celebrate the linesman drew up his flag to chalk another Rovers goal off.
As the final whistle drew ever closer Will Hoskins found himself in the away sides area, going down from a shove in the back by former Bristol City defender Jamie McCombe, unfortuneatley for the Pirates the new referee was having none of it.
There was one final chance from a corner but Chris Lines dead ball swung over everybody's heads and out for a goal kick. Even the added time was a cause for grief from the Gasheads, six substitutions and a refereeing fiasco that took at the very least three minutes should have seen a minimum of six minutes, only for the extra official to hold up five on his board.
Rovers can go away feeling agreived at not having picked up at least a point but if they continue to play in the same vein then they will give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding the dreaded drop down to League 2.
