Eccleshill United boss Ian Banks is convinced that justice has been done regarding the Eagles’ home game against Emley that was abandoned in bizarre circumstances at the beginning of October.

The Emley keeper was beaten in the 87th minute to make the score 1-1 with three minutes and stoppage time remaining. At that point he refused to give the match ball back to the referee and ran off the pitch – with the ball – when he was shown a yellow card.

He did return from the dressing room but would not release the ball and, following a second yellow and subsequent red card, then refused to leave the pitch.

Banks said: “We have been told that we will be getting all three points from that game. They have not been added to our points total yet because Emley have 14 days to appeal. If they do they will make themselves look very silly because they have no grounds really.”

Former Bantams player and assistant manager Banks feels that the decision reached by the Baris Northern Counties East League management committee was the only option.

He said: “If we had been awarded anything less than the three points or ordered to replay the game, it would have opened the floodgates. You can’t have people getting games abandoned with that type of behaviour.

“It would have been ridiculous and would have set a very dangerous precedent if the authorities had come up with anything other than awarding us the points. You can’t have a goalkeeper deciding to do that and it giving their team another bite at the cherry.”