Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor proposes changes to stomp out time wasting following 1-0 defeat to Ebbsfleet United

Referee Aaron Jackson leaves the field surrounded by stewards after the Vanarama National League match between Hartlepool United and Ebbsfleet United at Victoria Park, Hartlepool on Saturday 7th March 2020. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News)

It was a bad afternoon all around for Pools as Challinor was sent off following the full-time whistle.

While the United manager credited The Fleets tactic proving to be effective, he was quick to voice his frustrations with the officials.

“I’ve spoken with the referee quite honestly,” Challinor said.

“[Time-wasting] is the biggest frustration for me in terms of professional football. We might get to a point further down the line where it almost becomes, stop clock and we’ll be looking at having the ball in play for a certain amount of time.

“Again, you look afterwards and I posed the question around there being nine minutes of injury time. I thought there should have been a lot more, again the two incidents were four minutes, the penalty, the goal, there was four yellow cards, four subs and their physio was on the pitch three times – there should have been 12, 13 minutes minimum.

“That for me, as a manager, is my biggest frustration and it’s the one thing in the game that isn’t nipped in the bud enough.

“The referee will say he’s booked the players but that’s not a deterrent really because ultimately different people can do it.

“The punishment comes when the fourth official holds his board up and it says 15 minutes, that’s what would make people stop doing it. Until that happens, we’ll not move forward.”