AN AMATEUR football match in the Worcester Nursing Sunday Minor Cup was abandoned after 38 minutes when one of the teams refused to continue.

Colletts Green were leading 2-0 against Warndon Villages at Hospital Lane, Powick, when Warndon walked off the pitch before half-time.

Wes Joyce had scored both goals for Green, whose manager Nick Scott confirmed the former Worcester City player was involved in Sunday’s incident.

But Scott and Green secretary Rob Gibbons claimed Joyce, who had already been booked, was not to blame in an off-the-ball incident that saw a Warndon player on the ground.

Referee Bryan Taylor abandoned the tie after Warndon headed to the changing rooms and cups organiser Trevor Hughes confirmed the matter will be discussed at a meeting on Thursday.

Villages spokesman Steve Simpson said he could not comment because he was not at the match.

It is believed they left the pitch in order to defuse the situation.

In-form Green have won all four matches in McDonald’s Worcester and District League Division Three and Warndon had triumphed in five of their six games in Division Five.

Green secretary Rob Gibbons said: “It was a good game and there were no major incidents.

“Wes went up for a challenge and the referee said Wes was going in with his elbow and booked him.

“Ten minutes after that, I heard a noise and I turned around to see one of their players sitting on the floor claiming that Wes had struck him.

“The play was at the other end of the pitch and the referee didn’t see anything — and neither did we.

“The referee abandoned the match because Warndon refused to carry on.

“I can’t see it being replayed for the simple fact that it was 2-0 to us and Warndon refused to carry on.”

Scott, who has played for a host of clubs including Malvern Town, Upton and Tolladine Sports, was disappointed the tie had been cut short.

He said: “We have played nine matches and won eight, just losing once in the cup, and we have a really good disciplinary record with just two or three yellow cards and no one sent off.

“Warndon are unbeaten in Division Five and are a new team with players who have played in the Premier Division of the Worcester League previously.

“Warndon had a good team and it should have been a good match.”

He added: “Warndon walked off the pitch and, in my opinion, we should go through to the next round.”

Worcester Nursing Cups organiser Hughes said: “Some people are making assumptions about what happened but it’s all third-party stuff.

“I have not had any concrete information on what happened and I haven’t seen a report from the referee.

“I can’t say what is going to happen because we have a meeting on Thursday where the cups committee will discuss it.”