Knight cries foul as Racing Club exit Vase

WISBECH TOWN1

Racing Club bowed out of the FA Carlsberg Vase at the second-round stage with a narrow home defeat to their higher-level visitors.

A 28th-minute Callum Reed goal settled the tie, with home keeper Ash Malholtra called on to make a series of saves to prevent Wisbech adding further gloss to the scoreline.

But despite seeing Racers outplayed for much of the first half, Knight was incensed to see them trailing at the break, with Leon Blake clearly impeded by Liam Nimmo in the build-up to the goal.

“The goal they scored is a blatant foul,” said Knight. “Their manager has seen it, 139 people in the ground have seen it and so has the linesman.

“It all comes down to a refereeing mistake - it was right under his nose.

“We’ve lost 1-0 to a goal that shouldn’t have been.”

“That’s what everyone was talking about after the game.

“I’m not saying we would have gone on and won - they’re a good side.

“But we could have had another crack at them.”

Racing Club improved after the break and Luke Fuller came closest to getting them back on level terms with a 25-yard effort which was blocked by Town keeper Ryan Rayner, while Junior Brown should have done better with a free header in front of goal.

However, Knight admitted his side had fallen below their recent standards.

“We didn’t play as well as we could have done and carried one or two players and you can’t afford to do that against a team as good as them,” he said.

“We had them watched the week before but we didn’t put our game-plan into action.

“We also missed Ricardo Richards [who was cup-tied]. The way we play, getting the ball to the flanks and whipping in the crosses, needs a big man up front.”

Racing Club return to league action tomorrow when they entertain struggling Cadbury Athletic.

The match kicks off a busy period for the Warwick club but Knight thinks it might be a blessing in disguise after the disappointment of the cup exit.

And he denies that it will be difficult to lift the players for the Midland Combination Premier after the glamour of the Vase.

“The added advantage of having a big squad is that the players create their own pressure - there was no extra pressure for the Vase game,” he said.

“They know that if they don’t produce on the pitch that there is always someone waiting on the bench.

“We’ve got five games in two weeks and it gives me an opportunity to freshen things up.

“We’ve got two massive games coming up and our aim now is to kick on and get ourselves into the top six by Christmas.”