The ref deserves some praise for once!

All too often the man in the middle gets in a muddle and ruins the game but in a match of free flowing football he was as outstanding as the players.

He resisted all urges to pull out his cards and was singled out for praise by the Clarets assistant boss Sam Ellis.

"We had a word with him after the game and praised him for his part in a match of such quality," he said. "The ref let the game flow, decided against using yellow cards and he certainly helped it as a spectacle."

Near the end there was even the unusual sound of the home fans applauding him for not booking Gareth Taylor after a typical striker's challenge for the ball against a goalkeeper. The keeper Andy Marshall also played his part by appearing to plead for the defence and Mr Joslin is to be commended for his efforts.

The belief is that if players are treated like adults by referees who accept that it is a contact sport between fit and competitive men, all games will be far more enjoyable to watch.

Mr Joslin played advantage whenever possible and the players responded well to his lead. No one was diving or looking to get opponents booked and it was a masterclass for how a game should be run.

He even managed to have a bit of banter with the players and proved to be a bit of a "Mystic Meg" as he told the Clarets skipper Steve Davis they were battering the home side in the second half and a goal would come.

Not only did he ref the game well, he read it right as well.