STUDLEY are waiting to hear whether their season will be extended after the weekend’s final match was abandoned.
The Midland League Division One fixture at Leicester Road was called off by the referee five minutes before half-time with the score goalless.
Both sides felt the referee lost control of the game after he sent off three Leicester players and two from Studley.
Bees’ joint-manager John Edwards said the league had yet to inform them if the game would have to be rescheduled but he hopes the result will simply stand because it will have no major impact on the standings.
“We haven’t heard anything about having to replay the game. Hopefully we won’t,” said Edwards.
“We’ve put in our observations and hopefully they will see sense and leave it at 0-0. Perhaps we could have gone up one place in the table if we had won but there’s not much point having to play again when the season is over for everybody else.
“We are still unsure the reason for why the referee abandoned the game. It was strange.
“There hadn’t been any real incident, hardly a foul, until a bad tackle from their left-back caught one of our lads. There was the usual pushing and shoving and the referee stood back and watched it all and then, after speaking to the linesman, he sent off two of their men and two of ours.
“Then Leicester had another sent off for protesting and they surrounded the referee before he abandoned the game.”
It is the second time this season Studley have had a game abandoned, with the fixture at Coventry Copsewood in November called off due to fighting in the crowd.
It meant a frustrating finale for the Bees, who sit ninth, three points behind Cadbury Athletic with a superior goal difference.
Edwards and Wayne Bunn had hoped for a top six and the bosses will reflect on mixed fortunes in their first season at the Beehive.
A lack of consistency has been the biggest bugbear while Edwards says the attitude of some players in the final few weeks is something that will not be tolerated.
However, the plus points have come from some performances in which they have proved they can match the league’s best, as well as the encouraging displays of a number of younger players.
“We’ve been pleased with the young lads. Goalkeeper Tom Hayward has had a few ups and downs, but more ups overall and he will be a big positive going forward.
“Dale Edwards has had a strong end to the season after injuries interrupted his progress – like it did for a lot of players – and Anthony Miller has come in and done really well. I think we’ve got a real player on our hands,” said Edwards.
