FOOTBALL: Colbran furious with late defeat

WORTHING Football Club manager Simon Colbran slammed Folkestone midfielder Frankie Chappell after Rebels' seven-match Ryman League Division 1 South winning run came to an end on Saturday with a 2-1 injury-time defeat at the A2B Stadium.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Chappell went down, perhaps a little easily, under a Charlie Farmer challenge. Referee Peter Georgiou pointed to the penalty spot to the disbelief of Rebels' players and James Everitt drilled home the resulting spot-kick.

A livid Colbran said afterwards: "It was nowhere near a penalty. The referee is just two feet away and their player has dived and cheated '“ it's as simple as that.

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"It's disgusting and he shouldn't be allowed to do it. It's just blatant cheating.

"The referee wouldn't talk to me afterwards but if he doesn't realise he's made a mistake, I don't know what to think.

"I don't mind losing but I don't like losing like that. It was just unbelievable. We're still in a good position, though, and will bounce back from this."

Folkestone boss Neil Cugley had doubts over the free kick which led to Rebels' equaliser, though, and said: "I didn't think it was a free kick and I think the Worthing player (Jamie Brotherton] made the most of it.

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The referee also sent the wrong player off as Liam Dickson didn't commit the foul."

On his side's penalty, Cugley said: "He made the most of it and I honestly think that if the referee hadn't given the free kick, I'd question whether he'd have given the penalty."

Worthing captain Paul Kennett, who had been forced off with a knee injury in the second half, agreed with Colbran and said: "We feel robbed of a point and to lose like that, in the last minute, when it's first versus third, is a joke. I couldn't believe the penalty was given '“ no one could."

Keeper Alan Mansfield added: "It wasn't a penalty but if it had happened at the other end, we'd have taken it. The ref bought what their player did. It's disappointing but the season doesn't end just because we've lost this game."

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The late decision was even harder to take for Rebels as they had fought so hard to get back into the game. They had looked the more likely until Folkestone went ahead, against the run of play, on 16 minutes through Josh Vincent, when he fired home from six yards after Everitt's pass across goal.

Folkestone, well-organised throughout, then defended in numbers, limited Rebels to half-chances and looked dangerous on the break. The majority of Rebels' opportunities fell to Evan Archibald, while Ben Johnson also went close after a skilful run. At the other end, Mansfield made a couple of outstanding saves to keep Rebels in it before they equalised with six minutes left.

Brotherton went down on the edge of the penalty and Dickson saw red for a second bookable offence, before Brotherton fired home the free kick, low into the right-hand corner.

Folkestone's Darren Smith could have regained his side's lead moments after the kick-off but volleyed wide, before Archibald nodded a Ben Johnson free kick over at the back post.

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It looked like both teams would be forced to settle for a point in front of Worthing's highest league crowd of the season, 444, but Folkestone's controversial late winner, and Croydon's victory over Walton Casuals knocked Rebels off the top of the table.

WORTHING: Mansfield; Denton, Farmer, Axten, Groves; Brotherton, Patton, Kennett, Johnson; Williamson, Archibald. Subs: Clarke (Williamson 32), Brown (Kennett 68), Greenfield (Groves 78), Akehurst, Woodford.

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