Airbus boss is keen to put ref row behind him

Sep 12 2008 Chester Chronicle

Airbus boss is keen to put ref row behind him

CRAIG Harrison says he holds no grudges towards referee Andy Harms as the two prepare to come to face to face for the second time in five days tonight.

Harms sent the Airbus UK Broughton boss to the stands in Sunday’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Llanelli after Harrison let him know in no uncertain terms about how unhappy he was with his performance.

Although he still feels some of the Prestatyn official’s decisions cost his side at least a point at the defending champions, Harrison accepts he reacted in the wrong way and promises there will be no bad blood when Harms takes charge of the Wingmakers’ home clash with lowly Porthmadog tonight (7.30pm).

Harrison said: “I’ve been involved in football for 20 years and it gets no easier to take because I can’t deny I felt he didn’t give us anything.

“But there’s no point crying over spilt milk and I’ll be the first one to greet him on Friday, wish him good luck and tell him the way I behaved on Sunday wasn’t acceptable.”

Airbus, through captain Mark Allen and Tom Rowlands, raced into a two-goal within the first eight minutes and felt they should have been awarded a penalty shortly when Rowlands went down in the box. Harms ruled it was not a spot-kick, however, before awarding Llanelli one of their own, which Rhys Griffiths converted.

Griffiths then took his tally against the Broughton outfit up to 15 in eight matches two minutes from time before Harms allowed Llanelli’s injury-time winner to stand even though goalkeeper Phil Palethorpe was seemingly fouled when bundling Andy Legg’s long throw into his own net.

Harrison was in much higher spirits on Tuesday night, however, after Phil Molyneux and Richard Smart fired his much-changed Wingmakers side to a 2-0 Loosemores Challenge Cup home victory over a full-strength Welshpool.

The likes of goalkeeper Chris Doran and young debutant defender Tom Vickers stood out to give Harrison a big selection headache for the visit of Porthmadog.

Harrison, who will be without the injured Ashley Williams, Gareth Caughter and Paul Hallows along with the suspended Gary Lovell following his late sending-off against Llanelli for dissent, said: “People have been saying to me it’s probably the strongest squad Airbus have had and it’s going to be very hard for me to pick a team on Friday.”