Nine-man Wisbech Town beaten at home by Sleaford Town as bad refereeing and bad sportsmanship spoil the contest

Wisbech Town 1, Sleaford Town 3

United Counties League Premier Division North

Bad refereeing, bad sportsmanship, bad luck and, for the last half hour, bad play, cost the Fenmen dearly this afternoon.

There only seemed one winner as Wisbech left the field at half time 1-0 up, but two controversial sending offs, some over-the-top simulation from Sleaford and a lax display in the final 20 minutes saw the home team's three match unbeaten run come to an end and manager Leon Mettam frustrated.

He told the Citizen: "We did all we could to get the game on as I quite rightly fancied us today after recent performances, but the players threw it down the pan and I've told them that. You can't think you've arrived after three games unbeaten.

"In the first half we were at it, the Sleaford players were falling out with each other. They're fifth in the league and we've more than matched them for an hour and yet again come away with nothing, so it's frustrating."

Wisbech started on the front foot against their fifth placed visitors and took a 13th minute lead when captain Kegan Everington rose unopposed to head home assistant manager Danny Brooks' corner.

It was nearly two after 26 minutes when two recent signings combined, former Frickley Athletic midfielder Arun Jones putting Peterborough United work experience striker Reuben Marshall away but his powerful drive was well saved by Liam Flitton in the Greens' goal.

And Jones was the provider again before the break, his cross from the right going wide after the ever-impressive Sisa Tuntulwana tried an audacious overhead kick.

However, Sleaford came out a different proposition in the second half and scored through Jacob Fenton. Danny Brooks failed to clear and then couldn't recover to tackle as the wide forward unleashed an unstoppable effort past Alex Street from 20 yards.

The game then became quite open and either side looked capable of winning, and Wisbech will be disappointed they did not take advantage of ten minutes against ten men after Sleaford captain Charlie Ward was sin binned for mouthing at the officials.

But that was nothing compared to what happened minutes after he re-entered the field. Jones had started an attack just inside his own half for Wisbech when he was cynically taken down by Sleaford's Daff.

Wisbech players stupidly ran towards the culprit and Everington pushed him in the chest, resulting in Daff going down holding an imaginary head injury and Fenton shouting to the ref and his assistant that his teammate had been punched.

Referee Mark Simmons believed the untruths but then, after a ridiculous delay of five minutes while consulting both assistants, he sent off the wrong man and it was Max Mattless who saw red in his first game back after a three-game suspension for a previous red card. Daff was booked.

Five minutes later and Archie Wallace, who had replaced the tiring Brooks, was also dismissed.He saw red for bringing down Joe Smith, who was the last man, although the trajectory of the ball after the incident suggested he had got a toe to it first. Either way, it was a brave decision from Mr Simmons, who was a long way from play.

A perplexed Mettam said: "I don't like calling out refs but, for a start he's sent off the wrong man, and we have it on camera. Yes, Kegan raised his arm but he's pushed the kid in the chest and he has rolled around like he's been snipered off a roof. But, having said that, my experienced lads have let me down – if they don't go charging in there from 60 yards, we get a free kick, Sleaford get a yellow card and we still have 11 on the pitch.

"The second red, if he's not touched it, it's a red, if he got a toe on the ball, it's another mistake. The ref tells me he was 10 yards away, I reckon he was about half a mile away! I think he's guessed at both red cards."

With the home side now outnumbered, the visitors took an 82nd minute lead when Charlie Ward's great cross was smashed home by former Fenman Goncalves. Four minutes later and Joe Smith found the back of the net to put the contest beyond doubt, giving the unsporting Fenton apparent reason to taunt the home fans.

After the game, Mettam added: "I have to hold my hands up too. I kept Danny Brooks in defence as he'd done well in two games, but he's never going to play game after game. He's my assistant manager and he's not really here to play but if he's doing well I don't want to pull him out.

"I probably should have kept with Wallace, and Mattless probably shouldn't have started after missing games through suspension. But you like to bring your experience back in.

"Do I keep making the same mistakes or do I trust the younger lads? It's a difficult one because it's always those youngsters who you think will make mistakes, but they haven't, and it's been experienced lads letting us down. That's what has been happening all season, experienced lads acting daft.

"But it's a process and now we have to start again. I said it would take until Christmas to get a competitive squad together and now I will make no excuses – my squad is strong. When everyone is at it we are now more than a match for anyone in the league.

"We do now look more solid and we will keep on building and try to get back on track at AFC Mansfield next Saturday. Anyone who knows me and my philosophy on football will know I go out to win every game, whether it's pretty or not.

"Mansfield are down there as well and fighting for their lives. We will go there and try to put today's wrongs right. If we turn up like we did for the first hour today, I would more than fancy us. But if we get on the end of wrong decisions again or don't turn up, then we will lose.

"Football is not hard to work out. If you work harder and run further than the opposition teams, you will win more games than you lose."

Wisbech Town (5-3-2,r-l): Street; Tuntulwana, Mattless, Howard, Brooks (Wallace 54 mins), Ward; Jones, Everington, Acar (Janneh 82); Marshall (Kacirek 75), Conyard (Onyon 82). Sub (not used) Pearson.

Sleaford Town: Flitton, Ward, Bath (McBride 80 mins), Braithwaite, Adiku, Ward, Francis, Smith, Fenton (Wright 88), Goncalves (Johnson 87), Daff. Subs (not used): Rushen, Ward.

Booked: Acar (Wisbech); Daff (Sleaford).

Sin binned: Ward (Sleaford).

Sent off: Mattless, Wallace (Wisbech).

Star man: Sisa Tuntulwana - his boundless energy, running and enthusiasm creates a constant threat for Wisbech.

Attendance:181.

Email your sports reports to kris.johnston@iliffepublishing.co.uk