First match!

Well I'm just back from my first match. I think it went OK overall.

It was at least as difficult as I thought it was going to be - mentally and physically!

A hard bouncy pitch causing lots of high feet and only one linesman did not make for the best conditions.

I think in the first half I could have managed the contact around the high ball a bit better, perhaps letting too much pushing and mistimed jumps into players go but I felt happier with that in the second half.

Players are asking for diecisions in their favour the whole time and there was a bit "how do you get that" and "you must be joking" style feedback but almost all the players responded to a simple "calm down".

There was one player who it became obvious would be my only real problem. He was playing centre forward for the away team and he was just constantly niggling, jumping out of tackles and asking for free kicks, not retreating 10 at free kicks, deliberately bumping opposing players as he walked past them and so on.

At one point waiting for a goal kick to be taken in the first half there was some minor pushing between him and the opposing captain and I could see they were arguing although I couldn't hear exactly what was said. I stopped the game and pulled both players into a neutral area of the pitch. I explained that I thought the conditions weren't helping but that I needed them both to just get on with the game. I asked them to shake hands but the wouldn't, I asked again and they still wouldn't so I restarted play - regretted that I should have left it at the talking to.

He carried on being niggling and I gave a number of free kicks against him (and some for him). After about 50 minutes and another trip from him I stopped the game , pulled him aside and said "that's your last one, next time you're in the book" (I didn't actually mean to be that explicit with the threat). Sure enough a few minutes later he committed another foul and I decided to book him for persistent infringement. I blew my whistle and he start walking away muttering "f**k off" possibly to himself, possibly to me. I whistled persistently and he came over and I cautioned him. I slightly regret not sending him off for foul and abusive language.

The other thing is I think he gave me a false name as the name I wrote down was different from what his players were calling him. I've asked my mentor how I handle that in my report.

At the end of the game more than half the players came and shook my hand and thanked me. Two from each side said "you had a good game" so that pleased me. One from the cautioned player's side said "sorry you got a mouthy one but he's always like that".

I don't have any more matches booked in yet.