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Faversham Town manager Ray Turner says all the big decisions went against the Lilywhites in the Ryman League play-off final at Worthing

Ray Turner says that poor decisions by the match officials denied his players the opportunity to compete on equal terms with Worthing in Saturday's Ryman League Division 1 South play-off final.

The Faversham Town manager was referring to two big calls in the opening 19 minutes, which, he felt, paved the way for Worthing's 3-0 victory on their Woodside Road 3G.

The first, in the sixth minute, resulted in Worthing's opening goal when the assistant referee ruled that Brannon O'Neill's corner had crossed the line before being headed clear.

Faversham Town boss Ray Turner
Faversham Town boss Ray Turner

The second, by referee Gary Maskell, led to a straight red card for Town striker Luke Harvey after he was deemed to have retaliated to a foul by Will Hendon by pushing the home defender while he was on the ground.

Within six minutes of Harvey being dismissed Gary Elphick had doubled Worthing's lead and Jordan Maguire-Drew made it 3-0 in the second half before Town's afternoon of misery was completed by Rikki Banks saving Charley Robertson's penalty.

Turner was shown footage of the Harvey incident while conducting his post-match interviews and described the decision as "ridiculous." He also said there were suggestions that Worthing's third goal, from Maguire-Drew, was offside.

The Town boss added: "It's never a sending-off, it was barely a yellow card, it's unbelievable. All it is is an open hand, he's (Luke) fallen over, there's nothing been swung, there's no clenched fist. I just hope the officials look at their videos today."

Of Worthing's opening goal Turner says he can't believe the assistant could have been 100% certain the ball had crossed the line particularly given how many players were in the box.

He said: "All I tried to say to the officials was generally body language from the opposition usually gives it away and in a game like this you'd probably have (expected) nine or 10 players jumping up and down (if it was a goal) but you did not get that at all.

"It looked like it was as much of a surprise to them as it was to us. To give a decision with the ball in mid-air you've got to be really good, but the trouble is everyone is coming off and telling me that they've got it on video and all three of the major decisions, they're saying, that in their opinion, they've got them wrong."

Though disappointed with the performance of the match officials, Turner said he was immensely proud of his players, who, he says, never once took a backward step despite everything that was thrown at them on a difficult afternoon.

He added: "I'm just incredibly disappointed for the boys because I think unlike the Maidstone game (when Town were beaten 3-0 in the 2013 play-off final) we were ready for today.

"You could see it in our response with 10 men, we more than matched them, and with 11 men, even with the early goal, I still fancied us to get back in it.

"Our mentality was right, you could see it in the body language we were going to get something but it felt like we were a bit robbed. We were never able to even have a chance today, that was the biggest disappointment.

"We were never able to get stuck into the game, it's been influenced by outside factors. I just wanted to play them on an even playing field, I feel as though we were ready everything was right about today - it was so different to the last time we got here."

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