Stags make formal complaint over elbow decision at Accrington

Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans has made a formal complaint over Mark Hughes' elbow on Danny Rose on Saturday and referee Darren Bond's decision not to send the Accrington Stanley player off.
Accrington Stanley vs Mansfield - Mansfield players look dejected after Billy Kee's late winner - Pic By James WilliamsonAccrington Stanley vs Mansfield - Mansfield players look dejected after Billy Kee's late winner - Pic By James Williamson
Accrington Stanley vs Mansfield - Mansfield players look dejected after Billy Kee's late winner - Pic By James Williamson

Stags were beaten 2-1 by a late Billy Kee winner at Accrington, but the goal was set up by a player who Evans felt should have been back in the dressing room by then.

“Billy Kee popped it in from less than half a yard, but the lad who makes the goal should not be on the pitch,” said Evans.

“It was a disgraceful elbow on Danny Rose. We have sent that footage to the Head of Referees at the EFL yesterday.

“I came into the club this morning and watched it in wider footage and it gets even worse.

“These things happen, but the referee was in a clear uninterrupted position, so he’s had a shocker.

“I am not blaming him for the defeat, but the boy that makes the goal should not be on the pitch.

“I think if they had gone down to 10 men in the 72nd minute, dare I say it, we could have gone on and won the game.”

Evans said he did not expect anything to happen, but felt it was the right thing to do to submit a DVD of the incident.

He said: “We’re not going to moan about it - we’ll let the people deal with what we’ve sent in though we don’t tend to get decisions in our favour.

“We will get the normal drivel back won’t we? I have to say it. He should have gone off and it doesn’t help you when it’s passed on. But we have a duty to send these things on.

“The elbow is a straight red but the same lad made five or six other yellow card challenges after he was cautioned in the first half for dissent.

“So I think the referee had a poor day. I have got to say I think he is a poor official – I’ve had him many times.

“But we are not blaming him for the result. Just his inability to produce a second yellow or a straight red.

“We had a quiet chat afterwards and I think the Accrington staff knew they’d got away with one. It happens in football and we move on.”

Although Mansfield were not at their best, Evans believed they were worth at least a point.

“We lacked a bit of creativity on Saturday and that’s not been like us,” he said.

“We purposely tried to set up a team that would perhaps give us the creativity in wide positions and leave the battle for the middle.

“I can’t fault the players for determination, effort and willingness to press high and win the ball. We didn’t do enough with it.

“If there was one team deserved to win it, I don’t think anyone in the stadium would have doubted we deserved to win it. “Because of our lack of creativity we thought on the day the minimum was a point.

“It wasn’t a good day for us but I was pleased how hard we worked.”