'Boiling cauldron' - Chesterfield coach reacts to controversial decisions in win against Halifax

The Spireites beat Halifax 3-2 on Tuesday night but they had manager Paul Cook and Tom Naylor sent off, while the Shaymen’s Adam Senior was also given his marching orders.

The Blues led 2-0, but were pegged back to 2-2, before Joe Quigley came off the bench to score the winner in stoppage time.

Refere Aaron Jackson rightly came in for some heavy criticism from the stands and both dugouts.

Webb said: "There was a real boiling cauldron and our supporters are not fools, they obviously saw things that we saw and weren’t too happy about. It is hard because you can’t say too much. What I will say is in general, not in terms of tonight, but in general, we as a country have got to be careful not to take the passion out of it. We have got to be careful that it does not become a bit stagnant and dry and a bit boring and no one can react or show some character. That is just in general. That is all I will say on that one.

“Yes, there has to be more respect shown to officials from everyone. What has happened in previous years is not good enough. But at other times I think people have to understand the passion.”

Naylor’s sending off means he will be suspended for the game against Wealdstone on Saturday.

Webb said: “It is disappointing. I think it was more of a yellow because of his reaction to not getting the foul. I don’t want to say too much but he probably should have been on the pitch at the end.”

On Cook’s red card, Webb added: “I think it will be a one-game ban, presumably this Saturday, but I will have to check that out.”

Another controversial decision in the second-half came at 2-1 when Jamie Grimes looked to have bundled the ball over the line but it was not given.

Webb told the DT: “It was over the line. From the camera up in the stand we have zoomed in and it was over the line. I half give the linesman a bit of leniency for that. I know people think it is easy, but I don’t know because I can’t see his angle.”

The Spireites remain top after recording their fifth straight win.

On the match as a whole, Webb said: “Top of the league, three points clear, a very good night at the office. Within that there are things to dissect - good and bad - but it is about the three points. I think the fact we are scoring so many goals is testament to the players’ fitness and the supporters for spurring us on.

"The gaffer was a bit critical in the first-half - a couple of wasted opportunities. To go in at 2-1 brought a bit of a reality check to us all, thinking it was going to be a comfortable night at 2-0. At 2-2 it was massively game on. Fair play to the boys for showing resilience, they fed on the vice of the crowd, they didn’t buckle, and what a way to send everyone home tonight. It was an ice cool head from Joe Quigley to win us the game at the end.

“Their first goal came from nothing and it gave them some momentum. We didn’t start well at all in the second-half, gave away loads of set-pieces, then all of a sudden they got a penalty, which probably is a penalty - I am probably appealing for it if it was for us.”