Trojans skulduggery?

Trojans 11, Guernsey 10

GUERNSEY were left fuming at what they described as 'skulduggery' by Trojans as the league leaders went down to a single- point defeat away to one of their Hampshire League One promotion rivals. Although reluctant to say too much at this stage, Rob Box admitted that Guernsey Rugby Club chairman Adrian Le Page was making enquiries over suspicions that the hosts fielded ineligible players.

'We think there was a bit of skulduggery going on,' said the Guernsey coach, whose side's league lead has been cut to one point.

'With the team they had out, they beat us fair and square, but we are not happy that they were registered players.

'The team sheet is supposed to be filled in and handed to the referee before the game, but their captain came up to me in the clubhouse after the game and wanted me to sign their team sheet, which was blank. The referee had signed it, but there were no players on it.

'I refused point blank until it was filled in and he did it in front of me off the top of his head. It takes me about an hour to do ours because you have got to get all the names and spellings right. We got a first name wrong last year and it cost us two points.

'The referee was standing with me when all this was happening and I think he is going to go back and put in an official complaint,' Box added.

That was at the end of a frustrating day for Guernsey's coach because not only did his side suffer just their second defeat of the season, influential forward James Regnard got sent off and might now miss the rest of the campaign.

'We had Jim sent off for allegedly head-butting one of their players.

'What happened was a maul formed on the left wing and one of their forwards punched Jim, he retaliated and his head went to the side of the other guy and the referee thought it was a butt, so he got a straight red. Their player got a yellow card.

'Needless to say, I cannot afford to be without one of my best players for the rest of the season,' Box said.

That incident was typical of the match as a whole.

Guernsey took the lead through Andy Bailey's try and, after falling 8-5 behind, regained it through Jim Elliott. But the Sarnians were made to pay for missing their kicks and lost to another Trojans penalty.

'It was a very scrappy game and there were a lot of punches thrown.

'The lads stuck together and it was a good team performance from that respect, but we did not click. We played some lovely rugby at times but we also had poor periods and our kicking game was off.

'I do not know whether the pressure was too much or it was just an off day for young Alec Bailey, but the treatment he got was disgraceful. When he was kicking they booed him and called him foul names. They were not very hospitable,' said Box.

'Personally, I still think we will win the league but we will do it the Guernsey way - the hard way,' he added.