FURIOUS Liam Watson has lambasted referee Richard Clark after Southport’s defeat at Darlington.

The Sandgrounders’ manager was left fuming following the second-half dismissal of Kevin Lee which left his side having to resist the advances of the home side at the Northern Echo Arena with only 10 men for the final 15 minutes.

Watson was also left angry at the decision to award Darlington a late penalty but felt justice was done when keeper Tony McMillan kept out Chris Senior’s effort.

However for all Port’s commitment and endeavour they were crushed by John McReady’s injury-time winner for the North-Easterners.

“We deserved something out of the game but in my 20 years in football I have never seen such a biased official,” blasted Watson.

“Before the game, as we were walking out, I said to him ‘just be fair’ because you never seem to get the rub of the green up here. I didn’t have a major problem with the amount of stoppage time played at the end of the game but you felt we would have carried on playing until they scored. How he sent Kevin Lee off I don’t know. It was the best tackle in the whole game.

“The referee was just gagging to give something against us and I asked to speak with him after the game but he refused – that must be an admission of guilt.

“I can’t ask anymore of my players, they showed great commitment.”

Watson says Port plan to appeal Lee’s dismissal after a second successive defeat.

Ahead of tomorrow night’s crucial match at home to Hayes & Yeading, Southport have dropped to 18th in the Blue Square Bet Premier table.

SOUTHPORT: McMillan, Williams, Flynn, Davis, S Gray, Winn, Powell, Lee, Barratt (Moogan 81), Daly, T Gray (McGinn 67). Subs (not used): Dickinson, Blakeman, Collins.