Canvey Island 0 Gravesend & N 2

GRAVESEND & Northfleet manager Andy Ford has defended the referee's decision to play the final 15 minutes of last night's Ryman League, Premier Division game at Canvey Island under only two floodlights.

The officials took the players off the field of play shortly after Fleet defender Francis Duku had put the visitors 2-0 up when the lights in opposite corners of the pitch went off. After a delay of 40 minutes, the referee, Mr Williamson, concluded there was sufficient light for the game to resume and, although the home team were unhappy with the decision, Ford believes he made the right choice.

The Fleet boss said: “I have no problem with the referee's decision. He is one of the stronger referees in the league and that's the reason why he was given this game.”

Gravesend midfielder Jimmy Jackson, who scored the opening goal, agreed: “The referee definitely made the right decision. We didn't want a replay. When the floodlights have already gone off a number of times this season here, why should we be punished when it's not our fault?”

After the match resumed, it threatened to boil over as the home side were reduced to 10 men following a late challenge by club captain Mark Stimson on Gravesend substitute Matt Lee although Canvey manager Jeff King maintained the tackle was only a result of poor visibility.

He said: “We shouldn't have gone back onto the field of play because I didn't think it was safe. There were more bookings and a sending off in the dark than when the referee could see but clearly he was too weak to do it properly anyway.”

The floodlight controversy tarnished an excellent night for Gravesend who deserved to win the game after scoring early on through Jackson's well-struck volley. Canvey's Paul Cobb hit the post five minutes after the interval but Duku doubled the visitors' advantage with a close range effort after Che Stadhart's free-kick was only half-saved.

Ford admitted: “I was disappointed with what happened off the field and it tainted the night a little bit but I'm very proud of the way we handled ourselves. It may not have been pretty but read the score in the paper, we won 2-0.”