THE referee in Kirkby Lonsdale's crucial top-of-the-table defeat at Birkenhead Park spoilt the game, according to the Underley Park outfit's disappointed skipper Matt Hughes.

Kirkby could have leapfrogged the Wirral-based club onto the summit of North One West with victory at Upper Park on Saturday.

But they were left reeling after winger Martyn Knapton was controversially denied a potentially match-winning try in the final five minutes by Liverpool Society referee Philip Stokes.

"Justifiably so as a club we feel like we were robbed," said Hughes. "I don't like to get on the back of referees but when you are putting all the work in to get a team out and all the hard work so far this season for a refereeing decision to change what could happen at the end of the season is difficult to take.

"Any decision we got they complained and badgered the referee. There was twice in the game where he changed his mind.

"It spoilt the game from the start. There was lots of dirty play, head-butts and punches going on in every ruck and it was us getting picked up for retaliation rather than them for instigation."

Park number eight Dave Ibbotson was brandished with a straight red card for punching which meant the home side played all of the second half with 14 men.

And while Kirkby's Jack Akrigg and Stuart Storey both spent time in the sin bin, Hughes was left frustrated his side that when his side finally broke down the Birkenhead defence, it was chalked off for offside.

"We were hammering away at their line and to get over in the way we did only for them to protest it and have it disallowed was hard to take," he said.

"Our defence has been good so far but collectively it let us down. We were out of shape and I think worrying too much about scoring rather than about what we are good at."

With Kendal playing their game in hand at home to Wilmslow on Saturday, they have a chance to move ahead of Kirkby into second-placed - but Hughes insists there is still a long way to go.

"Kendal have still got to come to us and go to Birkenhead Park," he said. "All three of us have got difficult games, anything could happen so it's still all to play for."

No game this weekend for Kirkby means some time to rest ahead of the final push. "It would be good to try and put right last weekend as soon as possible but there are a few lads carrying knocks so a week off will do them good," said Hughes.