Hunts Senior Cup Quarter-Final Huntingdon Town 1 Hampton Athletic 2 AMAZED spectators looked on as the match referee ordered his assistants to run the same side of the pitch to avoid the glare of the sun on Saturday. Huntingdon chairman Hans Reif appealed

Hunts Senior Cup Quarter-Final

Huntingdon Town 1 Hampton Athletic 2

AMAZED spectators looked on as the match referee ordered his assistants to run the same side of the pitch to avoid the glare of the sun on Saturday.

Huntingdon chairman Hans Reif appealed to the Hunts Football Association after Hampton scored twice in the 20-minute period when the officials were on the same side.

A late goal for Huntingdon wasn't enough to stop them slipping out of the competition - but there was only one topic of conversation for the supporters.

Referee Mark Field said: "My assistant had been struggling with the sun in the first half and when we came out for the second half the sun was even lower and there was no way he could see.

"Rather than abandon or suspend the game, I opted to place the assistant on the opposite side of the field where he could adjudicate on offside appeals."

One assistant even tried wearing sunglasses at the start of the second half, to no avail.

Field continued: "It didn't help matters that Huntingdon were in red and black and Hampton were in orange, so this seemed to be the common sense solution.

"I have been refereeing for 15 years and have never known a similar situation before."

After checking the rule books, the FA rejected the appeal, stating that there is nothing in the rules dictating on which side of the pitch the assistants must stand.

Reif said: "I've been involved with football for 35 years and I've never seen anything like it. Our players' concentration had gone - they didn't know what to think.

"Mark [Field] has refereed many of our games in the past and he is a good referee, but this was just bizarre.

"Although we are disappointed to be out of the cup, we accept the FA's decsion."

Stuart Renshaw put the visitors in front after 50 minutes and Steve Mastin added a second after 65 minutes.

Lee Bassett claimed an 88th minute consolation for Huntingdon but Hampton held on.

* Have you ever attended a game with both assistant referees covering the same side of the pitch? Email sport@huntspost.co.uk or call the sports desk on 01480 411481.

* Huntingdon welcome Whitworths to Jubilee Park on Saturday and travel to Thrapston for a Hinchingbrooke cup tie next Tuesday.