Richo Issues Battle-Cry

Last updated : 26 August 2003 By Rob Davies
Notts have lost Mark Stallard for an estimated 6-8 weeks, after he broke a bone in his foot in yesterday's match.

While Paul Heffernan will also be suspended for 3 games following his sending off yesterday.

However, club captain Richo insists that Notts showed good spirit in yesterday's defeat at home to Peterborough, after playing 73 minutes with 10 men.

"We may have lost but this is the kind of match you still come out of feeling good about things," Richardson told the Nottingham Evening Post.

"One thing is clear and that is that whatever happens to us this season, it will not be through a lack of fight.

"We know how poorly we had performed against Swindon on Saturday. This was 75 better.

"We restored some pride and, if we can fight like that for the rest of the season, we will not be bottom of the table long."

Richardson, who is a trainee referee, insisted that Heffernan's sending off was harsh.

But when your at the bottom your luck's down.

Sagi Burton- a cheat if ever there was one
"You can't raise your arm, but Heff has barely even done that,"
said Richardson.

"There didn't seem to be much contact and the lad has gone down very easily.

"In fact, one or two of the lads were saying that he was laughing as he lay on the floor, after going down, and that is not on. You don't expect that."

Peterborough defender Sagi Burton, who is no longer on my christmas card list, has insisted that he is no cheat.

"The lad put his arm out and hit me in the face. I am not a cheat," he said.

"If I had swung out at another player, I would expect them to go down."

Despite the loss of two strikers from an already depleted squad, Richardson insists Notts should stay positive.

"It is a blow but we will get on with it. We will have to manage without them," he said.

Billy Dearden also praised yesterday's performance but warned that Notts' squad is now stretched "beyond breaking point".

"I am proud of my lads after that," Dearden told the Nottingham Evening Post "I haven't got a bad word to say about them.

"But I will be talking to the administrators and anyone else I can ask. The fact is we have lost Stallard for four to six weeks and Heffernan for three matches and when you consider the other injury problems we have, we do not have enough to cope."

Dearden also had a word to say on Sagi Burton's actions: "disgraceful".

Took the words right out of my mouth, Bill.