SWINDON Town’s young players and their style of football should be protected by referees according to County Ground chief Mark Cooper.

After Saturday’s draw with Yeovil the Swindon boss was incredulous at some of the decisions made by Scott Mathieson. Namely Cooper was irate that the official missed a perceived foul on Nathan Thompson prior to his sending off and failed to show James Hayter a second yellow for grabbing Yaser Kasim.

Yeovil were certainly energetic in their pressing on Saturday, mirroring other approaches taken recently by opposing teams to combat Town’s style of play. Kasim and Louis Thompson were on the end of some hard challenges, though admittedly nothing that obviously crossed the line.

Perhaps pre-empting increasing rough-house tactics from opposing teams, Cooper stated that his players deserve a bit more protection from the officials to encourage their style of play, as at the moment they are not getting enough.

“We have a style of play that should be protected and embraced,” he said.

“I think at the moment the referees are going the other way, they think ‘they’re a little bit arrogant, a little bit cocky, they’re young lads, let’s not protect them as much as we should’.

“(On Saturday) James Hayter scores the goal, he’d already been booked five minutes before. He grabs Yaser Kasim around the throat and the fourth official and the assistant referee are telling me on the sideline and the referee on the intercom ‘It’s two yellow cards, the players must be booked’. The referee doesn’t book either of them, Hayter stays on the pitch and scores a goal.

“The same referee on Saturday sent three Yeovil players off last year – in one game, read into that what you will.

“All I can do is speak to the head of refereeing and sound off about referees again.

“I have to write a report, I have to give the referee a mark today from his performance on Saturday. I don’t see the point in keeping doing it, nothing changes.”