Smith strikes to earn Potton a scrappy victory

Against a visiting side that tried to play football from the back United did not play the kind of football that had won their last two matches.

Potton started brightly with George Kiely finding Kenny Smith who chipped his shot just over the bar. Then Marc Umney had a shot that was saved at full length by keeper Alec Hill.

Gary Ansell-Carter saw his shot easily saved before Lutterworth’s Sam Young worked his way into a position but shot wide.

In the 31st minute Smith had two attempts at goal with the second creeping over the line to give Potton the lead despite a Lutterworth defender making a desperate attempt to clear.

Lutterworth retaliated and Charles Butler saw his low shot saved by Craig Lewis.

Umney had a shot from 25 yards that hit the post with the keeper well beaten. Lewis then saved with his feet a low effort from Danny Laywood.

Calum Forster saw his free kick cleared off the line and at the other end Butler headed wide when well placed. Just before the interval George Kiely worked the ball through to Smith and his low shot eluded everyone with the keeper beaten.

Early in the second half a header from Laywood was brilliantly pushed over the bar by Lewis. Umney shot straight at the keeper before Butler shot wide and Laywood saw his effort saved by the keeper.

Potton were making hard work of it by continually giving the ball away and the general play became scrappy. Daryl Wisbey worked his way into a good position but shot well over. With about 10 minutes to go Lutterworth worked the ball into the penalty area and had an appeal for a penalty turned down.

What happened in the final 10 minutes was the main talking point after the match. The referee appeared to be lenient in the first half but seemed to change in the second half.

After booking a Lutterworth player he then allowed the same player to stamp on a Potton player on the ground but took no action – after having spoken to his assistant on the other side of the field over 50 yards away.

Then in the closing minute, when George Kiely and a Lutterworth defender challenged strongly, he deemed Kiely made a bad tackle and showed him a red card without even consulting the other assistant who was less than 20 yards away.

As a result of that red card, without any video evidence, Kiely will now have to miss at least three matches, and some of them against clubs challenging for a promotion place.

The consolation is another three points and a clean sheet.

Potton United: Craig Lewis, Daryl Wisbey, Calum Forster, Shaun Faulkner, Luke Harradine, Chris Reeves, George Kiely, Joe Aris, Gary Ansell-Carter (Mark Ansell-Carter), Kenny Smith, Marc Umney (John Bailey)