Ashford United manager Lloyd Hume tells how he was sent off at Croydon after kicking a replacement ball to the goalkeeper

Ashford boss Lloyd Hume was sent off at the weekend - for attempting to speed up the game.

Hume received a second yellow card after entering the pitch to kick a replacement ball to the opposition goalkeeper.

United were trailing AFC Croydon 2-1 at the time and the manager was keen to get on with the match.

The club have been asked for their observations and Hume hopes footage of the incident will clear him of blame after two questionable cautions.

“I got the first booking for asking the linesman to get a ball because Croydon, and I understand game management, were trying desperately to slow the game down and not get balls on the pitch,” said Hume.

“So I kept requesting the linesman to ask for a ball and I got booked because he said you repeatedly asked me and you asked me too many times.

“They then threw a ball 10 minutes later, five minutes from the end, in front of our dugout a couple of yards on the pitch, and I stepped forward and kicked it to the goalkeeper and the ref booked me for stepping on the pitch.

“There was no altercation, no words, I just stepped on the pitch and kicked the ball to the goalkeeper and got sent off.

“Croydon had thrown it on the pitch but they’d thrown it on so it didn’t get past our dugout, to slow the game down.

“There’s not a player within 30 yards of it so I’ve run forward a couple of yards and kicked the ball to their goalkeeper so he can take a goal-kick and run backwards again.

“All their bench are screaming that I’ve gone on the pitch and the referee’s come over and booked me and sent me off.

“It is what it is. I’m 53, what am I doing running on the pitch?

“All I’m trying to do is speed the game up. If I’d gone on the pitch and wrestled the ball out of someone’s hand and caused an