Accrington manager 'wanted to vomit' over referee decisions as Derby come through tough FA Cup test

Marytn Waghorn of Derby County scores the opening goal during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Accrington Stanley and Derby County
Marytn Waghorn scores the only goal of the game Credit: GETTY IMAGES

For Frank Lampard, the possibility, however remote, of a fifth FA Cup to add to the fourth he won as a player. For John Coleman, the probability, if not inevitability, of an FA charge. Lampard has experienced glory in this competition and, while Derby flirted with ignominy, they advanced. Accrington exploded after their elimination. 

“I wouldn’t say we came through with flying colours but we came through,” said a relieved Lampard. He was altogether calmer than his Stanley counterpart, who was not assuaged by the £400,000 profits and who launched an attack on the referee Jonathan Moss that is likely to bring disciplinary sanctions. “I feel physically sick,” Coleman said. “I wanted to vomit when I saw them celebrating in front of their fans. They didn’t deserve it. Even the most biased Derby fan knows they shouldn’t be in the next round.”

Instead, Martyn Waghorn took the Championship side into the last 16, his scruffy winner feeling symbolic of their performance. Derby’s struggle to see off Accrington’s 10 men was summed up by Jayden Bogle’s last-minute red card for a desperate lunge at Accrington substitute Paul Smyth. Stanley, dubbed “the club wouldn’t die” on their march back from non-league, proved the team who would not give up.

They had excelled, even after Daniel Barlaser’s dismissal. “When we went down to 10 men for 25 minutes, you wouldn’t have known,” Coleman said. “We made the better chances. But we have been on the end of couple of horrendous decisions.”

Barlaser, the midfielder borrowed from Newcastle, had only collected three cautions in his senior career. He got two yellow cards within an hour, a third-minute lunge at Harry Wilson being followed by a foul on David Nugent. “Everyone I have spoken to thinks it was never a yellow card,” insisted Coleman. “Fair play to Derby, they didn’t try and get him sent off. It wasn’t down to any gamesmanship.”

Then Waghorn’s goal, stabbed home from close range after Duane Holmes’ shot was blocked, stemmed indirectly from the award of a free-kick against Janoi Donacien, which in turn led to a corner. “The fourth official is shouting down the mic ‘good tackle,’” added Coleman, while Lampard agreed it was a fair challenge. Moss ruled otherwise.

Frank Lampard, Manager of Derby County gives his team instructions during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Accrington Stanley and Derby County 
Frank Lampard's FA Cup hopes remain alive Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Coleman attempted to confront a referee he has known since their days in non-league football in the officials’ room afterwards. “He has scarpered into the lounge. The dressing room is probably not good enough for him even though it’s good enough for the other referees who come here week-in week-out. I go to see him in the lounge and he throws me out. His arrogance defies belief. I wasn’t swearing. I might have raised my voice. I know he was a schoolteacher. I was a schoolteacher but I don’t speak to my players condescendingly like that.

“It’s the way you get dismissed as though you are not worth to be in the same place as a Premier League referee.  You would expect better off a Premiership official. They are supposed to be the cream, but if that is the cream, I would like to see a pint of sour milk. The more you criticise him, the more you get into trouble. I have got no recourse. I will have to take it on my chin, or chins. He doesn’t care he has ruined by weekend or 2,000 fans’ weekend. They are not infallible but sometimes they think they are.”

Accrington remain aggrieved that their goalkeeper Jonny Maxted was sent off against Charlton last week, a decision that was rescinded to allow him to make fine saves from Waghorn and Mason Bennett, and Coleman added: “You feel persecuted. This wasn’t the first time it has happened. I am rapidly falling out of love with football, something that has been my passion I was five.”

A rather more measured Lampard felt both dismissals were correct. “I thought they were two bookings,” he said. “I thought Bogle was a red.” While Coleman concentrated on Moss’ attitude, he was pleased by his charges’ approach in the cramped confines of the Wham Stadium. Lampard insisted: “I wasn’t going to cosy it up and get changed at a hotel or lay down a carpet, which I heard has been done here before.”

His team nevertheless encountered difficulties when Jordan Clark and Callum Johnson came close in the first half while Billy Kee had a hat-trick of opportunities after Barlaser’s sending-off, drawing a fine injury-time save from Kelle Roos. Yet the late drama on the pitch was only the prelude to Coleman’s outburst off it.

                                                                                                    

Some match facts for you

  • Derby have progressed through to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2014-15.
  • Accrington have been eliminated at the fourth-round stage of the FA Cup for the third time in their current form (previously in 2009-10 against Fulham and 2016-17 against Middlesbrough) and are yet to reach the fifth round of the competition.
  • Derby have progressed from each of their last five FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, last suffering defeat against such opponents in January 2011, against Crawley Town.
  • Accrington’s defeat was their first FA Cup loss at the Crown Ground since losing 0-1 against Tranmere in the first round of the 2013-14 season, ending an eight-game unbeaten run at home in the competition (W6 D2).
  • Martyn Waghorn has been directly involved in three goals in his last three games for Derby in all competitions (two goals, one assist), as many as his previous 17 combined before this – he has also netted in back-to-back FA Cup appearances.
  • Daniel Barlaser is the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup match for Accrington Stanley since Andrew Proctor against Notts County in November 2011, 2632 days ago.
  • Billy Kee had Accrington’s first and only shot on target in this game in the 91st minute.

John Coleman says he wants to quit football because of decisions

"I'm rapidly falling out of love with football, I wonder what's the point. Every week you get stuffed by a decision.

"You wouldn't know we were down to 10 men for 25 minutes, even the most biased and hardened Derby fan would have said we deserved to win that.

"The fourth official is shouting down his mic 'good tackle good tackle' and he gives the foul! To be honest I feel like just packing it in sometimes.

"Good luck to Derby, I hope they go and win it. I can't see it like. 

"We've had to play 40 minutes, ran themselves into the ground. I'd sooner win on Tuesday but to lose today and the same way last week, and about 10 times this season..." 

FULL TIME!

Derby win! It wasn't easy but Lampard's team got the job done and are through to the fifth round. Accrington gave a good account of themselves here and but for that red card and some below average finishing, could have caused a shock.

90 mins+4 - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Jon Moss books Jozefzoon for not retreating 10 yards, the free-kick is laid off and charged down. Kee smashes it into the wall. Derby win a free-kick. 

90 mins+2 - WHAT A SAVE!

Kee hits the ball low to the far corner and the goalkeeper reacts at the last second to tip it behind for a corner! And from that corner Keogh puts a high foot up and gives away a free-kick in almost exactly the same position! Take two.

RED CARD!

Bogle is sent off! A straight red card and a chance to score from the free-kick. It's really close to the box.

90 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Waghorn has to go off with an injury, on comes Max Bird for the final few minutes. Derby have a corner, the ball bobbles about the box and the referee sees a foul somewhere. Accrington take it quickly and SMITH IS IN BEHIND! It's a one v one... Smith gets to the box and is pulled down by Bogle!

 

87 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Smith has won a free-kick wide of Derby's box. This is a decent chance if the delivery is fired into the box of bodies. 

He lifts it in and the ball is easily cleared. Derby on the counter, Bennett is in the box within five seconds and shoots into the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

85 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

 Richards-Everton heads a cross from a free-kick wide of goal. How many more chances will Accrington get?

82 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 1

Derby in total control now, passing it around, finding space, men over to pass to. Accrington are putting in challenges but it's all reactive rather than proactive. 

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!

AND THERE IT IS! WAGHORN SCORES!

 

This is all about Holmes. He takes a short corner, gets on the reverse and his little trick to nutmeg a defender inside the box creates the confusion. A little deflection makes the ball fall to Waghorn inside the six yard box and he swings a leg at the ball. It's a bit of a rammy but the ball is fired into the back of the net! 

78 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Derby should really be piling on the pressure now. It's the final 15 minutes, they've survived the home side's waves of attack and have an extra man...

77 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

The referee has to come and chat to the Accrington management after they make their feelings about a free-kick given to Derby known.

74 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Do Derby know they have an extra player here? They're being done in here by Accrington. The home team have dropped the defensive line a good few yards now when out of possession, Derby have a corner.

71 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

This Derby goalkeeper loves a dramatic save. Kee has headed wide of the goal and as the ball bounces behind the goal, here's Roos throwing himself at the far post like he's protecting the president from a bullet. 

68 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Derby win a free-kick 40 yards from goal but decide to play it short on the ground rather than launch a cross into the box. Bogle then does try a cross into the area and it's cleared away by the first man.

65 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Accrington go back to passing from the goalkeeper to defenders. It results in a throw-in deep in the Derby half - much better! 

Will Accrington slow things down and try to take this to a replay now? That makes the most sense strategy wise. Slow the tempo, don't sit too deep but contain and frustrate hoping for a counter-attack or set piece goal.

Maybe they won't need it! Stanley win the second ball, the cross is controlled in the box and laid off to Kee!!!! KEE HITS IT!!!! Just over! The keeper was beaten there.

62 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

You could put Barlaser's challenges down to a lack of experience but the boy is 22, you need to have your head. It looks like he's upset about it.

 Barlaser is on loan from Newcastle this season. 

RED CARD

Daniel Barlaser has been sent off! Two yellow cards for two stupid challenges for a player pulling the strings for Accrington. That's a shame. 

58 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Barlaser has just hit another worldy of a switched pass out to the left, the resulting cross finds him in the box and his first touch takes him round a defender and sets up a shot! It's blocked!

Oh noooooooo. Barlaser's gone in late to a slide tackle in the middle of the pitch! He's on a yellow card!

57 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Accrington are being pressed high and the goalkeeper doesn't fancy playing out from the back any more. He punts it long, Derby take the ball down and attack. I can't help but feel it's riskier knocking long than it is passing out from the back, they were having much more success in the first half by keeping the ball in control.

Accrington have lost a bit of composure here. Every ball is being knocked forward first time.

54 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Barlaser is a very tidy player and he's making sure we - and any higher level scouts watching - know it. He's hitting switched passes perfectly to teammates who don't quite have technique to control them, so it looks good but it's actually benefitting the team. Still worth trying though. One of those will work and Accrington will be in on goal.

Derby attack again, Bennett on the left wing... a stepover, a cross... and it's deflected away as defenders fail to get a foot on the ball.

51 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

BIG CHANCE! Much better from Derby! They're taking the game to Accrington, attacking the space and a cross is sent into the box from Malone to the back post, Waghorn is there... and he misses the ball. That was a certain goal!

48 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

 That's where the BT Sport commentary crew are doing their thing. This means players must be careful where they punt clearances for fear of battering Darren Fletcher and Steve McManaman and their banter zone.

KICK OFF 2

We're back. Derby straight on the attack.

What did John Coleman tell his players at half time?

"Believe in themselves a bit more, there's nothing in the game, either team can win it, we've got to take our chances. We're pleased we've stuck to the game plan but we've got to improve with our shots."

What to expect in the second half

Credit: PA

I think Derby will get into this second half as time goes on. Accrington are doing a lot of running, lots of direct passing and the pitch is heavy - those legs will tire. That's not to say Accrington can't play - they've had some nice little passages of play but neither side have shown real quality in the final third. Derby look a bit smarter in the final third and if they can keep the ball will be able to cause damage.

HALF TIME

Well it's been OK. Derby haven't really been in the game, Accrington Stanley have had the better chances... whoever scores first is probably going to a second. 

45 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Nugent does well on the left wing, Derby get the ball into the box and Bennett tries an ambitious overhead kick which puts the ball over goal and the stand behind it.

43 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

There's some sort of falling out between Sykes and Bogle with the former accusing the latter of diving. Sykes gives him a little dig, Bogle tells him to "go away" with different phrasing, then the referee sorts them both out. 

40 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Billy Kee has another nice first touch. If the Stanley supporters don't have a song about him to the tune of Billie Jean, I don't know what the point of football songs are. 

I even have the words worked out:

Billy Kee is not my forward,

He's just a boy who plays for Accrington,

Not as good as Heung-min Son

37 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Evans finds himself with a bit of space near the Stanley box and decides to hit a shot... which takes a deflection! The goalkeeper gets down to save. 

Derby are about to take Mason Mount off and send on Mason Bennett, who is a striker. Mount's feeling the back of his thigh so it might just be a tight hamstring rather than something that keeps him out for a while. 

34 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Moss has just missed a blatant foul on Kee in the final third, and how he hasn't seen it I don't know. It's a late slide tackle from Waghorn that catches Kee's ankle and fires it into the ball. Derby come away with possession but Kee is still down and the ball is put out.

31 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

McConville tries a shot now - it's all Accrington Stanley. His effort is bent just over the far corner as he wraps his foot round a shot from 20 yards.

28 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

There's space for Johnson! Stanley are doing well to build play down one wing then shift a pass out to the opposite side.

Johnson gets forward and hits a shot wide of the far post. His managers look angry but it's a pretty good effort, just wide. Had a striker been further forward he might have been able to set up a better opportunity.

25 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Jon Moss (yes, that one) takes his time to talk to Richards-Everton about something he's doing that he doesn't like. I always wonder why Sunday League referees don't give the same fouls they do in the Premier League but Moss seems to be treating this like any top level game so far. Except for when he's let Nugent be pulled and pulled and pulled and because he doesn't go down there's no foul.

Shot on goal! Clark manages to run through the middle of the pitch and takes an effort on his left foot from 25 yards which is dragged wide.

23 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Both teams want to play out from the back here, it's great. 

20 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Derby are trying to keep the ball for a bit now and pass it around. Keogh brings it out from the back... keeps going... keeps going... and he's at the box now! He wins a corner with a great bit of play.

18 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Another corner for Stanley, this time it's hurled into the middle and the wind catches the goalkeeper out but again Derby survive. The home side are doing well here. Lots of crosses being pumped into the Derby box here and the pitch and wind are making them dangerous. 

15 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

McConville wins a corner after swapping from right to left wing. It's taken short, Barlaser teases and toys with the defenders on the left wing and hits a decent looking cross into the area. Derby are able to get it away. 

12 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Beautiful play by Barlaser! He wins himself space with a lovely bit of skill in midfield then pings a 50 yard pass out to the opposite flank. The cross is perfect and Clark can volley the finish in... but he's missed! From 12 yards! That's a massive chance gone. 

Clark may have been put off by the striker next to him trying to header it. You don't get a second go at these ones though, he needed to commit and fire that home.

9 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Free-kick to Stanley just inside the Derby half. It's launched to the opposite corner of the pitch but the goalkeeper can easily pick up the header aimed his way.

Great save! Malone swings a cross in from wide left and Waghorn gets ahead of his man to head at goal! There's not enough power on the cross though and the goalkeeper is able to turn the shot away after.

6 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

Yellow card for Barlaser for a dreadful late slide tackle after a bad touch and poor pass ruined a promising move for Stanley. 

Derby play out from the back from a goalkick and do it superbly, keeping the ball and getting all the way to the final third with passes down the left. 

3 mins - Accrington 0 Derby 0

It's a heavy pitch today, lots of water underneath the grass and a fair bit of mud on show. Derby win a free-kick wide left, take it short and Mount sprints to overlap on the left wing before sending a cross into the box which is headed away. 

KICK OFF

Here we go! Frank Lampard signs some autographs for Stanley fans as he makes his way to the bench. 

There are some great camera angles on show already here. Let's hope the football's decent. 

Here come the players!

I love love love stadiums that look like Stanley's. Mason Mount and Harry Wilson are the players to watch out for here today - both are wonderkids.

Frank Lampard's about

Credit: AFP

 I think one of the best things about these sorts of matches is that you get to see big names in normal places, like Lampard here. These old stadiums give photographers a great chance to get some nice shots.

Frank Lampard words

"Great test for us, it's a reverse to what we've had. It's a different mentality, we can't use any of it as an excuse. We're going week by week, there's a couple of changes, in a couple of positions I don't have options.

"Not really, each game each year has different scenarios. I do understand what this is, the magic of the cup, what it means to Accrington, I'm very aware of that and that was my message to the players. It's up to them to perform."

Starting lineups

Hello!

It's the FA Cup, the magical cup, and the fourth round kicked off last night with some wonderful stuff between Arsenal and Man Utd. Now it's time for the big guns to get started and who bigger than Accrington Stanley - that team from the milk adverts - vs Derby County - that team from the 90s with the Wanchope. 

That's right football fans, it's all happening here. Frank Lampard vs John Coleman, a battle as steeped in history and glamour as Tyson vs Holyfield, a legend of football vs the Accrington Stanley manager.

Common sense says Derby should win this one. They've been playing well, have some great players and are on a clear upwards trajectory. The FA Cup has a habit of throwing surprise grenades on the seasons of teams like Derby - is Lampard committed to a cup run or does he want to focus on the league? Where do his priorities lie? 

Stanley are 14th in League One, Derby are sixth in the Championship. Today they are equals! 

License this content