News  RSS feed | About

Buoyant David Pratt believes Chippenham Town would have won Tuesday's abandoned play-off semi-final clash with Halesowen had it lasted the distance.

The 20-year-old grabbed the Bluebirds' third goal to put them 3-2 up after just 22 minutes but, ten minutes later, the match was called off with the pitch unplayable due to the rain.

But Pratt is sure the visitors would have prevailed to meet Team Bath in Saturday's final.

He said: "We would have won it comfortably. Everyone's attitude was spot on and everyone had desire and the passion to win the game.

"Mentally we were focused and I don't think they were expecting us to go at them like we did."

The Bluebirds were given their fair share of luck during the game when official R.J Martin failed to pick out Kye Holly after the midfielder handled on the line.

Dean Brennan scored the resulting penalty, but only after confusion reigned at The Grove.

Pratt said: "The referee didn't really know what to do and he panicked a bit.

"He said he was going to send the player off who handballed it but he didn't know who did.

"He was saying whoever it was, come here and get a red card.' "First he thought it was Ross Adams and then he said go away, I don't think it was you' then he thought it was Ollie Price.

"It was a bit of a joke."

Pratt had benefited from the conditions to net his 15th of the season after Stuart Pierpoint misjudged the ball in the wet and Luke Gullick crossed.

But the former Swindon Supermarine man felt, if the referee has persevered, the pitch may have improved.

"The conditions were very bad at the beginning," he said.

"I don't think they were going to get much worse, they would have got better."

10:10am Thursday 1st May 2008

Print   Email this   Comment