Gary Whild felt the decision to call off the match was 'embarrassing'.

Redditch United boss Gary Whild was fuming at the decision to call off their match just 45 minutes before kick-off at Blyth Spartans.

Whild insisted that the vast majority of the pitch at Croft Park was perfect.

"If you had travelled for 10 minutes to play on this pitch and it was called off you would be mega-disappointed," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"But to start out at 7.30am and to be told that when the pitch is perfect to play - it's embarrassing, really."

The postponement may have worked slightly to Blyth's advantage, with their FA Cup second round replay against Bournemouth at the back of their minds.

But that game is no longer this Tuesday night, having been put a week for live TV coverage to 16 December.

To be fair to Blyth, for this time of the year and with the weather that we have had the pitch is immaculate Gary Whild

And, in any case, Whild insisted that the decision to call off the game was solely down to the match official as both teams were willing to play.

"He's saying that there is a slight issue in the top goal - in the six-yard box - which is probably about two percent of the pitch," added Whild.

"You can see they have been working on it and it's improved.

"I am sure that by the time kick-off came around, with the bright sun, it would have improved even more, so I don't think it was an issue."

Redditch now face the prospect of another long return trip to the North-East (almost certainly midweek) later in the season.

"I'm not so much frustrated," said Whild. "But rather it is embarrassing.

"You travel this far and both sets of players and management teams are prepared to give it a go.

"98 per cent of the pitch is perfect and I am sure that by the time we would have started there would not have been an issue.

"To be fair to Blyth, for this time of the year and, with the weather that we've had, the pitch is immaculate."

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