Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor blasts referee following Timi Odusina's ‘nonsense’ sending off in goalless draw against Eastleigh

Defender Timi Odusina was sent off following a second yellow card shortly after half-time as Pools played the second half with 10 men.

It’s the second time in as many games Pools have had a player sent off as Lewis Cass was shown a straight red at Altrincham on Tuesday night.

Challinor had no complaints with that decision, but on Saturday he was furious with the standard of officiating which he felt cost his side the opportunity to claim a ninth straight home win.

“In terms of my players and our team, I’m proud of the effort we put in,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the game was not decided by the two teams playing football but the third team which is why I’m angry.

“The sending off is an absolute nonsense and I don’t usually have a go at referees because it’s a tough job and they make mistakes but I do get angry when they make decisions that are wrong that cost my team the chance to win a game.

"Timi picked up two yellow cards from getting stamped on in the first half. He was telling the referee to watch it back because their lad stood on him on the floor which is why he reacted but he wasn’t the one who got booked.

“Their number 18 came to protect his own player and those two get booked for nothing.

"Their lad then goes through and hits the deck with no contact and Timi is an honest kid, there is no contact.

"If you’d made contact on a yellow, your first reaction would be to look to the sky because you know you’re in trouble, the referee couldn’t wait and there was obvious there was no contact from Timi’s reaction.

There wasn't a bad tackle in the game so how you can come away with eight bookings and a red card, I don’t know. We got five bookings so we’ll probably get a fine which is ridiculous.

"I spoke to Ben [Strevens] their manager afterwards and he agreed. There was eight yellow cards and probably only one, which was Tom White’s to stop the break from a counter attack which is a smart foul and you take a yellow. There’s no issue with that but all the other ones are nonsense.”

Challinor is also frustrated with the lack of accountability for bad decisions in the National League as he refrained from speaking to referee Andrew Kitchen following the full-time whistle.

He added: “What’s the point [in speaking to him]?

“Nothing gets done, we can send footage and clips and nothing will get done.

We have a fourth official who is not qualified to referee the game so there was no point having him, I saw no reason for him to be there. They stand there and say nothing or give any explanation or if they do they just agree with the referee.

"I understand decisions go against you but that doesn’t make the feeling any easier to take especially when we’ve got honest lads doing everything they can.”

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