MICK CLARK faces the wrath of both AFC Emley and the Northern Counties East League after his refusal to accept a red card led to the abandonment of the First Division derby at Eccleshill United.
The experienced goalkeeper, incensed after the Bradford side were awarded a controversial 88th-minute equaliser, refused the leave the pitch after being shown an initial yellow, then red card.
Clarke, in his fourth season at the Welfare Ground, felt the ball had been knocked out of his hands before being forced over the line, but referee Nicholas Mason gave the goal after consulting his assistant John Wozniak.
The League will now rule on the result and any punishment for Clark, who played for both Ossett clubs before joining Emley, who will impose their own internal action and have left the player out of tonight’s Sheffield Senior Cup home clash with Frecheville (7.45).
With Lewis Rhodes, brother of Town striker Jordan unavailable through work commitments, Nathan Ryan comes in.
The finale took the gloss off striker Dave Heagney’s achievement of scoring in 11 successive matches, with the former Town junior, St Johnstone and Bradford Park Avenue player heading home from Brad Dowling’s corner in the 78th minute.
The game started slowly with defences on top, although Heagney got round the back of the Eccleshill defence to deliver a dangerous ball, with Marc Townsend unable to finish.
Heagney then brought a good save from Taj Bell with a looping shot before Charlie Flaherty, with a volley, and Andy Howland, with a header, threatened for Eccleshill, bossed by former Emley manager Ian Banks.
Heagney, operating as a lone striker with Mark Stuart supporting from midfield, was at the heart of most of Emley’s attacks, and put in a free-kick which Mick Amos headed just over before Clark made a flying save from Flaherty’s angled drive.
Howland was close to connecting with Flaherty’s angled drive across the face of goal just before half-time and Eccleshill’s top scorer Marcus Edwards twice came close after the restart, only for Clark to foil him on both occasions.
Emley responded when Stuart brought a decent save from Bell after being set up by John Cyrus, and manager Darren Hepworth’s introduction of Dowling and Nick Reid for Townsend and Amos pepped them up.
Dowling set up Stuart, who hit a long-range effort which had Bell at full stretch, then Nathan Tayo, Reid and Stuart combined to set up Heagney, who shot just wide.
Heagney finally counted with his 12th goal of the campaign, and Emley looked on course for a seventh successive win – until the late red-card drama.
Emley: Clark, Leech, Tayo, Cyrus, Colley, Hazelden, Ingham, Townsend (Reid, 68), Heagney, Stuart (Horton, 82), Amos (Dowling, 68).
