By Nathan Jackson
February 18 2006

Jarnel Singh continued his failing impression of a ref in the drawn game between Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town. Singh, the most unpopular referee in lower leagues made numerous questionable decisions during the game between the Imps and the Silkmen after Jeff Hughes rescued a point for City

City got the first half underway when Kerr passed the ball straight to a Macclesfield defender. A midfield battle saw City win a corner in the 2^nd minute. Scott Kerr’s delivery was headed goalwards by McAuley but it was cleared off the line and fell to the feet of Yeo, who shot wide from less than 2 yards out.

 

Within a minute, the Jarnail Singh show started as Nat Brown did a perfectly good tackle  and put the ball out for the throw in, however, Singh decided to award Macclesfield a free kick despite there being nothing wrong at all with the tackle, which was neither malicious nor done from behind. Within minutes, Macclesfield’s former Imp, Kevin Sandwith committed a 2 footed challenge from behind on Brown and yet Singh only awarded a throw in.

 

In the middle of that sequence, Clive Wijnhard broke free of the City defence but his long range shot went well over the bar but other than that, it was a slow opening quarter of an hour (once Mr Singh’s life story via the medium of opera is removed). City won another corner on the quarter hour but Kerr’s cross was headed well over by McAuley.

 

Mr Singh decided to don his sparking leotard a few minutes later when he decided to sent Keith Alexander to the stands for kicking a ball back onto the pitch when a mistake by Hughes gave the hosts a thrown in.

 

Yeo wasted another chance when he headed Hughes’ excellent delivery well over the bar. Hold on a minute, what’s this, Mr Singh can’t possibly be chickening out of given a decision for the hosts, surely he hasn’t just ruled that Kevin McIntyre’s dive wasn’t worthy of a penalty. McIntyre, does his best to mimic his latest “Jurgen Klinsmann : The Best Dives Yet” video and then doesn’t understand when Singh didn’t award him an Oscar for his theatrics. Singh did give McIntyre an award though, a nice, well earned yellow card.

 

Singh however did fall for Macclesfield’s latest Robert Pires impression when McIntyre again ran into the area and McAuley cleanly won the ball fairly before clearing it for a corner. However, McIntyre went down like he had been shot in both legs and Singh gives a penalty. Wijnhard stepped up to take the penalty and after years of Marriott diving to his right, he dives to his left and predictably watches Wijnhard place it to his right hand side of the goal and made it 1-0 to Macclesfield, although you wouldn’t have thought it due to the very quiet and unenthusiastic celebrations of the small crowd.

 

Sing is obviously a fan of boxing because whilst he was calling Nat Brown over to talk about a foul, Macclesfield defender Danny Swailes threw a punch in Brown’s direction and yet Singh just stands there laughing. I’d love to know what sport Mr Singh was refereeing because just minutes after that, Steve Robinson was adjudged to have handballed the ball that came to his feet. Ex-Imp Kevin Sandwith stepped up to take the free kick and almost scored but his 35 yard effort went just wide of the upright and despite the very suspicious events leading to the free kick, it would have been a beautiful goal.

 

Hughes then tackles Martin Bullock from behind in the area without connecting with the ball and yet Singh doesn’t give a free kick, well surely if it’s not a free kick then it’s a yellow card for diving. It wasn’t all heading in City’s direction though, Singh’s performance was shocking for both teams and how the hell he is a professional referee is beyond me.

 

City almost equalised just before half time when Martin Gritton’s goalbound effort was deflected for a corner. Kerr sent in the ball but McAuley’s header was easily cleared. Mr Singh brought the half to an end and left the pitch to a chorus of boos from both sets of fans, who were far from happy with the official’s performance.

 

Singh phoned Universial Studios during half time and asked them to turn his spotlight off him  and for the first few minutes of the second half, you wouldn’t have noticed that Singh was there. Macclesfield failed to make the most of an early corner in the first half whereas Hughes’ cross was too powerful for Green and Robinson to latch onto.

 

Wijnhard came incredibly close to scoring his second goal when he almost latched on to Bullock’s cross, however, Wijnhard couldn’t keep up with the pace of the ball and the ball went out of played. Birch replaced the seemingly non-existent Gritton. Birch was straight into the thick of the action and made further efforts to prove that his reputation of being “lazy” was far from fair, especially considering he was up front with Yeo who was running for near enough nothing all afternoon.

 

Teague almost scored from 30 yards when he cross-cum-shot forced Marriott to make a good save before Hughes was booked for pulling Harsley’s shirt. Steve Robinson, who had been having a poor game, was substituted and Lee Frecklington came on in his place. Frecklington had City’s first attempt of the second half when he could only produce a weak header from Francis Green’s cross and Manchester United loanee Lee, had the easiest save of his young career so far.

 

City then decided to give up on the hoof it to Yeo tactic simply because the striker wasn’t bothering to run for anything. As soon as City started to play football, Macclesfield were seemingly lost and it wasn’t long until the Imps were deservedly level. Green broke down the right and produced great link up play with Birch. Green chased Birch’s through ball before sending a cross high into the box and to the box post where Jeff Hughes was waiting and the Northern Irish defender had the simple task of heading into the empty net as Lee tried to scramble back.

 

Green, who’s return from Boston had been one of the main reasons the Imps had been unbeaten in 2006 so far, came close to given the Imps the lead within a minute when he broke down the right and ran into the area before sending a thunderous shot towards the back post, however, it went just wide of the goalmouth for a goal kick.  Miles replaced Navarro for the hosts whereas Beevers replaced Yeo for City.

 

After a relatively quiet second half, Mr Singh then became the focus of attention again when during a goalmouth scramble, Alan Marriott was knocked unconscious, however, Singh decided to allow play to continue and it was lucky that Macclesfield couldn’t get in a shot on goal, as it would have been an almost guaranteed goalkeeper. Singh did eventually blow for the whistle but only when the ball was put out for the corner. Earlier in the season, the Imps had faced Rushden and Gary Birch had just put the ball in the net but Singh disallowed that perfectly good goal because City player Meheta Molango had gone down injured, obviously the rule doesn’t apply to goalkeepers in whatever sport Singh was refereeing.

 

The rest of the game went quietly and City’s 4 match winning run came to an end with a useful point at Moss Rose.

 

NEXT TIME ON THE MR SINGH SHOW : An attacker runs 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper, gets past him, gets within 3 yards of the goal, falls over on his own and Singh awards a penalty.