Tuesday 20 September 2016 22:04, UK
Bristol Rovers midfielder Ollie Clarke admitted their game at Swindon "had to stop" as a waterlogged pitch made play impossible.
Referee Oliver Langford waved the players off after 61 minutes with the score at 0-0 and then abandoned the match following a pitch inspection 20 minutes later.
Managers Luke Williams and Darrell Clarke both accepted the decision and Ollie Clarke, with a first-hand view, was concerned about what would happen if the game had carried on.
He said: "There were a few challenges going in which were dangerous so it needed to stop really. Obviously we have to be committed but we don't want to injure anybody.
"They kept the ball well in the first half and we had to keep our shape at times and rode our luck with the ball in our box.
"We started the second half by changing our shape which enabled us to get at them a bit more and I think the way it was going we would have got on top.
"But today you could just see it was a tough one to get going again."
Rovers manager Darrell Clarke added: "The referee was concerned with player safety which was why he called it off."
Swindon boss Williams understood the decision but admitted he would have liked to see the game continue after an impressive display from his team.
He said: "Well of course both sets of staff and players wanted to play the game which is completely normal, we don't think about the risks.
"But that's why the referee is there, who is able to take into consideration the safety factor. We trusted him to make that big call and he made it.
"His concern was that we may be making the players vulnerable to injury because of the surface water, players were unable to stop if they (went) to ground.
"I was pleased with the team creating chances, but not putting them in the back of the net left me thinking this beautiful game could be about to kick me in the teeth.
"This is not about singling out centre-forwards. It's about the whole team and if your chance arrives it's the moment of calmness. Let's not pretend it's easy, sometimes you do everything right and the keeper matches the shot."
Rovers goalkeeper Kelle Roos, indeed, was instrumental in keeping his side in the game for 60 minutes.
Roos was making his debut after signing from Derby on loan for the season and he produced a string of saves to prevent his side being humiliated.
The home team should have been 1-0 up in the third minute after Jamie Sendles-White's free header bounced back off the post and they failed to capitalise on their chances throughout the first half which could have seen them out of reach.
