IAN Long believes referee Rob Cairns was incorrect to postpone Tividale’s home fixture with Goole just one hour before kick-off on Saturday.

External referee Mark Pearson inspected the pitch at 10:15 and declared the surface playable only for match referee Cairns to overturn the decision.

Long said “It was the wrong decision.

“I can’t understand how the pitch was deemed playable at 10:15 and then seen to be unplayable four hours later once the temperatures had risen.”

The Tividale boss insisted that the football club had done everything right on their part.

“As a club, we did everything by the book.

“Leon (Football General Manager) and Steven (Head of Communications) arranged and communicated the details of our inspection at the earliest possible time to try and make sure this did not happen.”

Long, who turned 39 last week claimed Goole AFC staff and players had also suggested the game should have gone ahead.

“Both myself and Curtis Woodhouse (Goole AFC Manager) believed the game should have been played and I sympathise with Goole having travelled 110 miles to the Black Country expecting to play a game of football.”

Long is now turning attentions to Gresley this weekend and is hoping the weather improves over the next seven days.

“We’re at home next weekend again against Gresley and we need the game to be on.

“Let’s hope the weather is better this week to ensure we can play.

“Having said that, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have played on Saturday – it should have been on and that was clear for everyone to see.”