Calm Cooper bemoans officiating

Mark Cooper was not happy with the officiating on display at Chelmsford as his table-toppers fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Ian Randall, Cooper said: “The overriding factor for me was the officiating today, not the reason we lost, maybe, but just spoiled the game.

“I mean Dylan Morgan makes a great tackle in the bottom corner and kicks the ball out for a corner. He gets booked for the tackle. Some of the decisions today, it was that bad, it was laughable. That’s the worst performance I’ve seen for an official in 40 years as a player and a manager.

“I just thought [it was] just rubbish. I think it’s just nowhere near good enough for the standard of play that was on the show today,” he added.

Cooper also said his forwards weren’t as sharp as they have been up until the last 20 minutes.

“I thought we controlled the first half without our forwards coming to life. We didn’t play well in the final third of the pitch today. Our forwards looked a little bit rusty a little bit blunt until the last 20 minutes. In the last 20 minutes they came to life and we should score at least one two goals with the balls that go across the six-yard box. 

“We tried to put a bit more thrust on the pitch and, like I say, we had loads of balls across the six yard box but no one got the end of. The final third of the pitch was the difference today. Our forward players are usually really bright and bubbly and lively, and we weren’t today until the last 20 minutes.”

Cooper acknowledged that his team have been ‘great’ and are in a ‘brilliant position’. He added that Olly Thomas is back with Bristol City and that they’d tell Yeovil when the striker is fit and ready.