Midlands 5 East (South) St Ives 7 Deepings 62 ST IVES captain Pete Hammond was seething after this match, not just with his own team s showing, but with the referee. I am flabbergasted by the referee s performance, he said. Put simply, it was the worst

Midlands 5

East (South)

St Ives 7

Deepings 62

ST IVES captain Pete Hammond was seething after this match, not just with his own team's showing, but with the referee.

"I am flabbergasted by the referee's performance," he said. "Put simply, it was the worst display I have ever witnessed."

The Bulls lost outside half Gareth Drakes with a broken hand after a Deepings player appeared to stamp on him.

Front row replacement Gez Gilburt was sent off but then allowed back for the second half in what was one of a number of unusual decisions.

The one score for St Ives was a try scored deep in the second half when Steve Burke picked up from the base of the powerful scrum and barged his way through under the posts, with Drake converting.

They should have had another awarded, but the ref deemed the ball to be held up over the line.

Hammond said: "The confusion over whether or not Gez had been sent off or not was just ridiculous. Our scrum was a positive but that alone will not win us games."

* St Ives' next game is away to Stamford.