POOLE Wanderers leapt to the defence of referee Graham Masters after their Dorset Division One clash with Broadstone Conservative descended into farcical scenes on Sunday.

Wanderers secretary Clive Young accused league leaders Broadstone of intimidating Masters, who called a halt to the match midway through the second half.

But Broadstone chief Brian Guppy hit back, claiming Wanderers had sparked frustration by turning up for the match with no kit – causing a 40-minute delay ahead of kick-off.

Masters, it is claimed, simply picked up the ball and walked off the pitch, insisting he had “had enough” after several Broadstone players left the field following a hotly-disputed penalty awarded to Wanderers.

The match was eventually abandoned with Wanderers 6-3 in front, but the game could now have to be replayed.

Guppy, who described as “diabolical” some of Masters’s decisions, told the Echo: “Poole turned up with no kit because, apparently, their manager had overslept. So, it wasn’t a very good start and our lads were frustrated because they were standing around waiting to kick off.

“I suppose our lads were intimidating in the end, but it was because of the decisions the referee was making.

“They were asking him why he was making the decisions he was and I suppose I can understand him getting upset by it all.

“A few of the players left the field because the referee wouldn’t tell them what the penalty was for.

“I told them to get back on the pitch, but they wanted to know how he could give a penalty for a ball that went out for a corner!”

Young, though, insisted he felt sorry for Masters and held up his hands over the shambles involving the team kit.

He told the Echo: “Graham Masters came from Portland and he is one of the more senior Dorset referees, but he told me at half-time, when we were 3-0 up, that he wouldn’t be refereeing any Dorset League games again.

“They had several players booked and when the sixth goal went in following a penalty, which they hotly disputed, they all turned around and told the referee they were walking off. About four or five of them left the field although they were persuaded to come back on by some of their other guys.

“But after that the referee said he’d had enough and abandoned it. I felt sorry for the referee and I wouldn’t want to see his name tarnished. He had a very difficult game to officiate and he’d just had enough. I can’t ever remember being involved in a game like it.

“Broadstone Con have a bit of a reputation for intimidating referees. When things aren’t going their way, they turn on the referees a little bit.

“We hold our hands up to the late start, but we will be fined for that. The manager was running late and there were some problems with picking people up.

“But their players were clapping and cheering when the referee called it off because they knew they had got out of jail and could get a chance to replay it. It will probably cost us points – that’s the annoying thing.”

When contacted by the Echo last night, Masters declined to comment.