Vanarama National League: Guiseley 1 Braintree Town 1

GUISELEY banked a point from the visit of Braintree – but in highly controversial circumstances as Iron boss Dan Cowley branded their equaliser "a disgrace."

With Guiseley a goal down in what was a close contest, one of the visitors’ players was injured as Mark Bower’s side attacked.

Noticing a team-mate down, one of the visitors played the ball out so that treatment could be given.

The injured player wasn’t seriously hurt and play soon restarted with a throw-in for Guiseley, which Nicky Boshell took.

He threw the ball to Oliver Norburn to return it, unchallenged, to Braintree keeper Tom King.

The proverbial was just about to hit the fan. Norburn struck the ball 40 yards towards King - and it sailed over the keeper, who was off his line, and into the net.

Referee Tom Nield appeared unsure of what the correct course of action was and, as the players, management teams and supporters of both clubs got heated, he consulted with his assistant at that end of the pitch before awarding the goal.

With the blue touchpaper already lit, that was the moment the fireworks began.

The Guiseley players lined up for the restart as the visitors complained to the match official and his assistant.

Before the game could be restarted the Iron boss, like Bower a young manager, led the encroachment onto the pitch. He was joined by every member of his staff and there were confrontational scenes.

Security staff and stewards were called onto the pitch to ensure the safety of the referee and members of both technical areas.

The ‘goal’ had cancelled out an excellent strike from the Iron’s striker Michael Cheek in the 42nd minute but the game is not what Saturday at Nethermoor will be remembered for.

After the final whistle, Iron manager Dan Cowley said: “I thought it was a disgrace that doesn’t do anything for this club (Guiseley) and their reputation.

“The referee has caused a lot of the problems by not dealing with it properly, but these things happen in football and we will put it behind us and move on to Tuesday night’s game.”

Bower said: “I think it’s a grey area. Ollie didn’t mean to score, he’s just chipped the ball back to their keeper so its not one of those that has been rifled into the top corner.

“I think their keeper could have stopped it, maybe he was trying to be clever by letting it go out for a goal kick and just misjudged it. I don’t know but that was not the best or most comfortable 25 minutes of my life.

“It is a decision we’ve made and we’ll live with it.”

Both managers walked out to the centre circle after doing interviews to camera for BT Sport, and what was said will forever remain between the two, but the discussion ended with a handshake.