A BIZARRE accident to referee Ed Williamson robbed Clacton of only their third win of the season and league officials have now decreed that the teams must replay this fixture on March 14.

The Seasiders were leading 24-0 when the freak incident happened just before half-time in the London League division three north-east match.

As the ball was played out from a ruck, the referee and a visiting forward collided. The official went down and it soon became clear that he was badly injured.

Players and officials from both sides rushed to his aid, with an ambulance being summoned immediately, and he has since been diagnosed as having two broken ribs, plus cartilage and possible nerve damage.

It was first mooted that a replacement referee be sought and the game continued on the adjacent pitch. However, eventually the two sides agreed to abandon proceedings and they will start all over again on March 14.

Clacton’s squad showed six changes from the previous week, with youngsters James Baldock, Tom Cox and George Johnson all returning. It was also boosted by Lee Amman and Grant Jarmain, with Scott Amman on the replacements bench for his first appearance of the season.

After a week with very little rain, the ground conditions at Vista Road were ideal and the crossfield breeze was of no advantage to either side.

Despite losing heavily at Lowestoft earlier in the season, Clacton were conscious that they did manage to score four tries and tore into the visitors from the kick-off. A ferocious couple of minutes ended with Aaron Redpath getting over the line, and Lowestoft wondering what had hit them.

Darren Tully added the conversion points, but then Clacton began conceding needless penalties that allowed the visitors to claw their way back into the game.

They did try to get themselves on the scoresheet with a long-range kick at the posts in the 13th minute, but the effort was well short, and it was the Seasiders that fired a double-salvo around the 20-minute mark.

First, Lee Amman finished off some excellent forward work from a five-metre scrum to make it 12-0.

Then a slick handling move in the centre of the field was rounded off by Jon Vine.

Collecting the ball around the halfway line, he left the entire visiting defence in his wake before touching down between the posts, allowing Tully to comfortably add the extra two points.

Already facing a 19-point deficit, the visitors were dealt another blow when their influential inside-centre had to be carried off the pitch after some lengthy treatment.

Then, with half-time approaching, they conceded a fourth try when Grant Jarmain’s weaving run rounded off a kick-through by Tully.

With a four-try bonus point already safely in the bag, Clacton and their supporters were looking forward to an enjoyable second half when the freak accident happened.