Hucknall Town boss Andy Graves launches investigation after player changes penalty shoot-out order in Notts County cup defeat

Boss Andy Graves says he is investigating why the order of Hucknall’s penalty-takers was changed in their defeat to Notts County.
Andy Graves is angry after a player changed his planned penalty shoot-out order in the loss to Notts County.Andy Graves is angry after a player changed his planned penalty shoot-out order in the loss to Notts County.
Andy Graves is angry after a player changed his planned penalty shoot-out order in the loss to Notts County.

The Yellows exited the Notts Senior Cup at the second round stage after a 4-2 shoot-out defeat to the Magpies.

But Graves, who watched the game from home after being struck down by COVID, was angered after Town’s shoot-out order was apparently changed by a player seconds before penalties began.

“I am a bit upset to be honest because, with 50 minutes to go, I got a message to the bench with the order I wanted,” said Graves.

“I rang at full-time to confirm again that it was the order we were going with. Then I’m screaming at the screen that the order I selected was not what we went with.

“You put your best penalty taker first, especially when we were taking the first kick, to put pressure on them.

“The referee said he got the correct order and one of our players changed it, so someone is not going to be in my good books.

“I'm looking into it because that's not what we are about.

"Obviously there is no guarantee that the order I chose would have been successful, but now we will never know.

“If there are instructions given then players don’t change it, or there will be consequences.

"It is not right and we will get to the bottom of it.”

Hucknall travel to Belper United at the weekend looking to start another unbeaten run going after their eight game run was ended last Saturday.

“Last night was for the club and an occasion,” he said. “The Belper game was always going to be the big one.

“They slipped up in midweek so their games in hand have started to go. If we can get a result there it puts us in a strong position in the play-offs.

“We had a nine game unbeaten run at the start of the season and then we’ve just been on an eight game run, so it’s important we put another run together and then we won’t be far away.

“It is a big game on Saturday. I am not going to be there as I am still isolating until Tuesday.

"But we will plan correctly as always and do things right.