MELKSHAM Town Kieran Baggs felt the referee cost his side all three points in Southern League Division One South on Saturday as they suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Highworth Town, writes JONATHAN LEIGHFIELD.

The Worthians inflicted Melksham’s second league defeat of the season thanks to an Ashley Edenborough brace either side of a Toumani Sidibe free-kick.

Warren Maidment had equalised for Melksham, but Baggs felt a series of poor decisions from the referee Dale Wootton prevented his side from going on to take all three points.

“I thought we played really well, the result aside. I felt we dominated the game for long periods and we were unlucky not to convert some of the multiple chances we had," said Baggs.

“That’s always going to come back and bite you if you don’t, but we had a clear penalty waved away at 1-1, so that was a big turning point in the game.

“I’m not one to talk about referees in post-match interviews, but I think everyone at the game could see he was massively out of his depth.

“You couldn’t even have a conversation with him about any issue I had. Sometimes, you get referees that are really easy to talk to and on their game, but other times, you get bad ones.

“He will probably reflect on his own performance and realise that he’s made some monumental errors."

Early in the second half, the Melksham manager was sent off by referee Wootton for dissent, something Baggs felt could have been avoided.

“He sent me away from the dugout because he didn’t like how many people were shouting from our bench. I have to take responsibility for that, apparently," said Baggs.

“That’s a new rule to me. That I have to be sent off if the rest of the dugout are shouting.

“It seemed to be something that nobody else took much notice of apart from him and he spoiled a really good game between two good sides.

“We leave the game talking about him when we should be talking about the first Wiltshire derby between the two sides.

“Jeff (Roberts, Highworth manager) has done a great job there after getting promoted, and sometimes you’ve just got to say it’s a bad day at the office and luck wasn’t on your side."