Southend United physio John Stannard today hit back at Darlington captain Craig Liddle's condemnation of Blues' club physician Dr Sinha.

The big defender accused the doctor of keeping him in the treatment room for as long as possible, handing the Shrimpers an unfair advantage, during the Quakers' 2-0 Roots Hall defeat on Saturday.

A challenge with Southend hitman Mark Rawle forced Liddle to miss the final 15 minutes of the first-half while he had stitches inserted in a nasty cheek wound.

During this period, Blues' midfielders Kevin Maher and Neil Jenkins scored the all important goals against the visitors' ten men, before Liddle returned for the second-half.

"I can't believe what this player has been saying," said Stannard.

"Dr Sinha has been the club doctor at Roots Hall for 25 years and is well respected. When somebody is hurt during a game, he doesn't think about teams or players, his only priority is to help the patient.

"The laws of the game are quite clear and if somebody has a wound which is bleeding they have to come straight off the pitch.

"And it was a bad cut, which required five or six stitches. The doctor did a great job as it was an awkward wound to deal with.

"It wasn't just a straight forward laceration. There were jagged bits of skin flapping around all over the place and the doctor had to take great care sewing them back together.

"In the time he took the doctor did a brilliant job on his face. It was certainly a lot quicker than going down the hospital and waiting five or six hours to be seen to like any normal person."

And Stannard confirmed it was Darlington's choice not to replace Liddle for the last 15 minutes of the first period.

"One of their staff came off the bench and escorted Liddle down the tunnel to the treatment room," explained the Shrimpers' physio.

"At this stage he could have reported back and told the Darlington manager to get a substitute on, but he didn't take that option."

Published Thursday, April 10, 2003

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