Buckle tight-lipped over Shaw appeal

Shaw has until this evening to decide whether to accept the decision which comes with an automatic three-game ban.

The incident happened against AFC Telford last Saturday as Shaw was pushed to the ground in the penalty area, leading to a 21-man brawl between both sides.

When asked if Shaw would be available against Macclesfield this weekend, Buckle told the media this afternoon: “I don’t know yet, we’re just waiting on that.

“We’re looking at that at the moment and I think in an 18-yard box before a corner’s come in, there’s lots of different tactics used, all sorts.

“You see on a number of occasions, whether it’s in the Premier League or the Blue Square, when players are holding each other, players are blocking each other.

“If you’re being blocked in the 18-yard-box you’re trying to get a player off you. I think the initial thing in the box is Shaw is dragged down, no doubt about it and you see it all the time.

“He was being blocked off and held so you try to get away.

“Whether you push or whatever part of the body you use, you’re trying to get away and free yourself up to attack the ball that’s coming in.

“It wasn’t great and we’ll look at it.

“I think it is something that needs to be looked at because it is highly frustrating, but if that was going on in the middle of the pitch it would be a free kick.

“Because it’s in the 18-yard-box, they might be a bit scared to give those decisions because it’s a penalty.

“So we need to maybe look at that because you see it all the time. That was the biggest frustration, because we were trying to score for about the 100th time in that game and the tugging of shirts and blocking causes frustration that spilt over.

“It’s physical and you’ve seen the size of the players at our level and a lot of goals are scored from set-plays.

“You’re asking players to be touch tight in the box, that’s the way to mark. Other coaches are maybe saying to block off and stop people getting in.”

Town have also been charged by the FA for failing to control their players under rule E20 (a) during the match that ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Hatters.

Buckle added: “Players have a duty when you step over the line, I’ve done it enough myself in my career.

“I think there’s no defence in many ways of players brawling or grabbing hold of shirts or pushing, whatever was going on, there was no excuse for it.

“What I would say though is that there was some atmosphere and that was some game, so it’s a reminder to us all to control our temper our frustrations, whatever it is at any given moment and remain professional.

“It’s not something we’re happy about and we’ll take whatever’s given to us. Whatever’s thrown at us whatever’s thrown at me and the problems that come up during the season, we’ll deal with them.”

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