CITY 0 ST AUSTELL 1

CONTROVSERY and Truro City appear to be going hand in hand in the Carlsberg SWL this season and Saturday was no different to any other, according to manager Robbie Stephens.

City, struggling to haul themselves up by their bootlaces and move out of the re-election zone, went down 1-0 to St Austell in controversial fashion.

The outcome of the match was decided by a penalty and Stephens is adamant that the referee was the only one in the ground who saw it as a spotkick.

"The problem is I am going to be perceived as a serial moaner," said Stephens "but it was just not a penalty.

"Matt Salmon and Johnny Herbert were running shoulder to shoulder and both of them went down. If you fall down your natural reaction is to break your fall with your hands, but on this occasion the ball brushed the side of Salmon's arm. At no time did he deliberately play the ball, it brushed against his arm.

"I just can't believe the decisions that are going against us and as I have said on previous occasions, this could cause this club problems big time.

"A point would have got us off the table, but in my opinion we were robbed yet again. If this continues I will seriously have to consider whether I am going to walk away from it all because it is becoming nothing more than a joke."

The referee in the firing line was Penryn's Steve Rose.

"I've known Steve for many years, was friends with him at school, and I told him after the game we're still friends. At least you can talk to him and he had guts to come into the bar after the game which is not always easy when the game has been decided by a controversial decision.

"But he was adamant that he was right. As far as he was concerned Salmon hooked the ball away and for him that was a penalty. All I can say is that if he saw the ball hooked away, he was the only one in the ground who saw it."

Robbie Stephens and Steve Rose may have been friends for a long time, but they share the same opinions, certainly not about the penalty.

"To be honest, Robbie is entitled to his opinion and it's an opinion that I respect," said Rose "but as far as I am concerned it was a clear-cut penalty.

"Robbie has seen the incident from 50 yards away on the touchline and I've seen it from three yards, so I had a very good view. Matthew Salmon went over as two players went shoulder to shoulder and then I saw a definite movement of his arm towards the ball and saw him scoop the ball away. I saw it, the St Austell players saw it and it was a clear-cut penalty and that's why I awarded it.

"I know that Robbie feels he's getting the rough edge of decisions, but I cannot comment on those games. I'm quite happy to talk to anybody about any decision I've made after the match, I've nothing to hide, and that's why I explained my decision to Robbie.

"He still doesn't agree with me, but we shook hands and, of course, we still parted as friends."

The penalty came after 23 minutes and despite the furore Gary Dyer tucked away the spotkick.

City had plenty of possession, but rarely did enough with it where it counts, in the opposition box.

This was a very ordinary encounter with defences well on top and the goalkeepers having virtually nothing of serious note to deal with.

Bobby Wignall, playing instead of the suspended Andy Butcher, never had a serious shot to save and by the same token City were no more dangerous front of goal.

Mike Cain, Chris Davey, and Greg Butcher all had solid games for City who battled hard for little reward.

"It was a dull and boring game," added Stephens "and although we had all the possession we didn't hurt them.

"I'm fed up with people coming off the pitch and telling us how good we are. It is also difficult to tell that to your players when you know you've been beaten unfairly.

"We've got Torpoint on Saturday and that is a must-win game for us. We need three points. I might speak to Phil Cardew and suggest we play without a referee and sort it out ourselves."

The kick-off at Treyew Road is 2.30 pm.

City: B Wignall, G Butcher, C Davey, M Cain, C Wolstencroft, M Salmon, P Baldwin, B Goldring, M Moore, L Wort, S Rowson. Subs: J Greet, S Hawke, P Wolstencroft.