Opposition view: Furious Artell slams '˜disgraceful' refereeing performance and accuses van Veen of landing '˜elbow'

Dave Artell confronted Kevin van Veen at full-time before Keith Curle pulled his striker away. Picture: Kirsty Edmonds

During a remarkably candid post-match interview, Artell was particularly incensed by the decision not to award Crewe a free-kick in the build-up to Northampton’s first goal as Andy Williams turned in Kevin van Veen’s pass on 18 minutes.

That paved the way for Town to claim a third straight league victory and leapfrog Crewe in the League Two standings, with Daniel Powell coming off the bench to hammer home a late second.

But while Artell conceded his side deserved little from the game, he was left fuming with Oldham’s performance and especially his refusal to take advice from the fourth official when Northampton broke the deadlock. The Crewe boss also accused Cobblers striker Kevin van Veen of landing an elbow on one of his players.

“When the fourth official is shouting ‘foul, foul, foul’ and the referee then doesn’t give a foul, there’s no point of him being stood there,” said Artell.

“He was disgraceful today, disgraceful. He missed a clear elbow in the last second, it’s just disgraceful and he’ll get a zero from me.

“David Allison, the head of the referees, should have a look at himself because I’m fed up of talking about them. On one hand I feel it’s not their fault because they’re part-time but on other hand I think he should resign because he’s not got any standard.

“That was a second year referee today and he’s made a horrific, horrific decision for their first goal. There’s not one point to the fourth official stood there if he’s not going to listen to him.

“He might as well sit in the stands. We get told to let the fourth official concentrate on the game, especially in the immediate vicinity, and that foul was probably 10 yards from him.

“I would say that’s within the immediate vicinity and when he’s shouting ‘foul, foul, foul’ I’d like to think the referee would take his advice, much like when a linesman flags and he always blows up.

“But because the fourth official hasn’t got a flag, he doesn’t and that’s not on. It’s a disgraceful decision.”