Gray's home sick (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Contentious goal adds to Camrose hurt

8:59am Monday 8th February 2010 in Football By John Boyman

FRANK Gray was left to rue a poor decision by the referee’s assistant as Basingstoke Town surrendered an early lead to lose 2-1 at home to Hampton and Richmond.

Lawrence Yaku looked yards offside as he headed home in injury-time, but the assistant failed to raise his flag and the winning goal stood.

“It’s very disappointing,” Gray said. “When you lose to a decision like that it is hard to take.

“We defended well to play them offside but the linesman has not seen it. Everyone is saying there were at least two of them in offside positions.”

Gary Frewen’s penalty had given Town the lead after 10 minutes at the Camrose on Saturday but the home side were unable to produce the form that had seen them win their last two Blue Square South outings.

Hampton piled on the pressure in the second half and got a deserved equaliser 20 minutes from time, Yaku finding the corner of the goal with an acrobatic overhead kick.

The game seemed to be heading for a draw but a dramatic finale ensued, with Town defender Ashley Mitchell being sent off in the last minute for a foul on Yaku, whose contentious winner settled the game soon after.

“We did not play particularly well but did not deserve to lose,” Gray added. “We looked as if we had handled them but when you have a 1-0 lead you always need a second goal.”

The defeat leaves Basingstoke seven points outside the play-off places and continues their dismal form at the Camrose, where they have won just once since August.

“Sometimes it is easier to get results away but we have just got to get on with it at home,” Gray said. “We have got a lot of games coming up here, many of them big games against the teams around us, so we have to get through this.”

See The Monday Gazette for a full report and pictures from the game.