Was Wright In The Wrong?

Last updated : 22 October 2007 By Stray Shots Team
In his report, he stated that the defender was sent off after receiving a second yellow card eight minutes after the break at the Recreation Ground for something he is alleged to have said to a linesman.

Wilder said his player had said nothing untoward - and certainly had not sworn at the official.

"I spoke to the players in the changing room afterwards and Jake Wright said he did not say anything to the linesman," said Wilder.

"The linesman said someone came over to him after the penalty had been taken and chirped in his ear.

"I am going out on a limb here because if they are wrong I am the one who will be made to look a mug

"They said to a man that no one had gone over and nailed him.

"I don't want to go down the road of no one speaking to the referee but I am going to have to.

"You might say that players should not say anything to the officials.

"If you have played the game you know it is part and parcel.

"Players at the top do it, players at the bottom do it and players in the Sunday League do it."

Wilder added that he would not have been surprised if there had been a few words between players after Rhys Day had missed the chance to put Aldershot ahead from the penalty spot.

And he said that if video evidence proved anything other than the players' version of events he would take action.

"The original free kick was not a free kick," he said. "They got a penalty from the free kick. The boy misses the penalty so there are going to be a few little mutterings.

"I told the referee that if Jake swore at the official he should send him off. But if he has just said something he has a word with the player or the captain."

"If the player is lying I have to take drastic action because I am putting myself on the line here.

"The players say no one confronted the linesman after the penalty. If I watch the video and that's wrong I will have to take action."

Town played well before and after Wright's red card but failed to take their chances.

And they were eventually undone by a Jonny Dixon goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the game.

"We should have been 3-0 up without a shadow of a doubt," said Wilder.

"We asked again at half time if it was going to be another performance against a top side where we came away with nothing or would we use the first half as a platform?

"Inside 10 minutes of the second half Jake was sent off but even then we felt we were going to hold out

"If we had been an little more clinical in front of goal after that we might have got a goal and that would have given us something to cling on to."

Reporter: Dave Fletcher
Source: http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/