Matt Taylor slams referee after Exeter denied by Port Vale at the death

Posted Sunday, September 30, 2018 by PA

Exeter boss Matt Taylor slammed referee Sebastian Stockbridge after his side conceded a 97th-minute equaliser to draw at Port Vale.

City, who were second in League Two behind leaders Lincoln, looked to have wrapped up three points after Nicky Law struck just after half-time at Vale Park.

However, Idris Kanu bundled home his first professional goal to earn the hosts a dramatic point deep into stoppage time.

Referee Stockbridge had originally signalled for five minutes of added time to be played, so the timing of Vale’s leveller angered the Grecians boss.

Taylor said: “I’m not too sure where you can get an extra two minutes when you put up five on the board, there certainly wasn’t an extra two minutes during those five minutes, not that I could have seen anyway.

“He has put his whistle to his mouth when the ball went out for a corner, if we’d have scored a winner they would have been equally as frustrated.

“I don’t want to sound like a broken record but I’m disappointed with the referee.

“I’m definitely frustrated but I’m still proud of the boys. It was a good, resolute performance and a performance full of character away from home at a tough place to go.”

In a tight fourth-tier contest, Exeter led within three minutes of the restart when Hiram Boateng picked out Law with a low cross from the right and the former Bradford midfielder showed composure to divert into the net.

Having seen chances go close throughout the second half, substitute Kanu saved the day for Vale when he bundled home a header in the seventh minute of stoppage time following a goal-mouth scramble.

Following the late drama, Aspin was proud of his players’ never-say-die attitude that earned them a point.

“You have to be happy with a point and if you look at the respective positions in the table, I thought we more than matched them today and I’m more than pleased with the players’ attitude,” he said.

“We’ve given them a really good game and the fact we’ve got players cramping up at the end shows how much effort we’ve put into this game.

“We had to do that as we were playing against a good side with good players and you have to give it maximum effort.

“If you can do that, it keeps the fans happy.”