Phil Wilson slammed his below par Lancaster City players after an abject Giant Axe showing.

Wilson was rightly disap-pointed as his men surrendered to the big spending Yorkshire-men, who were almost invited to stroll in the sunshine.

The manager is rightly concerned about the number of goals his side are conceding and says: "We have to tighten up at the back - I am known for not conceding goals and we have to plug the gaps.

"We are not strong enough at the moment; we need to win the ball and force the game but have not been doing that."

The 3-0 scoreline was a fair reflection - and City's embarrassment could have been enhanced if referee Colin Buxton had brought the right spectacles.

He waved away two clear cut penalty appeals for Harrogate, one when Jamie Speare rugby tackled Clayton Donaldson and the other when ex-Morecambe man Colin Hunter was tripped when clear on goal.

That sent Harrogate's larger than life boss John Reed into an apoplectic rage and his blood pressure went off the scale when Buxton brandished a second yellow card to Town's Marc Smith for kicking the ball away at a free kick.

Those decisions were bonkers but they made little difference as Harrogate had their three-goal lead and the game won by the break thanks to Donaldson, James Turley and Hunter.

But one in the opening seconds of the game may well have changed matters.

Stephen Jones was tripped, the assistant referee couldn't see the incident and a free kick was given just outside the box.

"It was a penalty, no doubt at all and it summed up the referee," said Reed when he had calmed down after the game.

City also had a penalty shout waved away near the end. New boy Chris Beech shaped to shoot but was taken out in the box nobody was surprised when he was penalised for a foul, however.

Wilson wouldn't be drawn on the referee but Reed, with 40 years of experience in non-league football said: "I am afraid that refereeing display was up there with the worst I have ever seen.

"He didn't listen to his linesmen, he didn't use any common sense and my club secretary has had to complete my report on the referee he didn't trust me not to get a fine."

The appearance of Jamie Murphy from the bench tightened the City defence up with Wilson and supporters hoping the classy defender can put his injury problems behind him.

City: Speare, Clark (Stone 74), Scott, Sparrow, McMahon (Murphy 65), Elderton, Bauress, Jones, Beech, Black, Prince (Dawes 62). Unused subs: Yeomans, Stanhope