Still deeply affected by Smith injury as Hatters hold on

With Town 2-0 up and in complete control Still’s former charge Jon Nurse clattered Smith with a terrible late challenge on the stroke of half time.

Smith was subsequently stretchered from the field with his leg in a splint and taken to hospital by ambulance, while Nurse was sent off for his part.

Still was unsure about the seriousness of Smith’s injury, as he said: “He’s gone straight to hospital and we’re waiting to find out the situation as we speak.

“We’ll have to wait and see what the diagnosis is with everything that’s happened with that and hope that it is as good as it’s possible to be, but we will have to wait and see.”

He was tight-lipped on how serious the injury might be, but revealed that the sickening sound made by the challenge spoke volumes as he struggled to focus on the match afterwards.

“I can’t (give an update) at the moment. We’ve got no information back as I speak,” he said. “So we are waiting to hear. But it’s the noise I think.

“And I’ve got to be honest, it was difficult for everyone I suppose and I’m going to be honest, it was difficult for me, because second half I found it really difficult.

“It’s actually the first time it’s happened to me in that sort of vicinity of seeing it and the word I would use is I think it was horrific.

“I don’t mean horrific by the offending player, just by hearing that noise was horrific.”

Still was adamant there was no malice in Nurse’s challenge, but admitted Smith’s injury probably played a big role psychologically as Town struggled to see the game out in the second half.

He said: “It was a late challenge, and you know what, I’m going to say this, Jon Nurse is one of my old players and there’s not a bad bone in Jon’s body.

“It was a late challenge, without any malice as far as I’m concerned, and I was right close to it. But it was a sending off because it was a late challenge.

“But I’m not saying for one minute there was ever any intent in it, but it was a late challenge.

“As I said, it was difficult dressing room at half time, it was difficult for me to focus, and I’m sure it must have been very difficult for the players to focus, because that’s one of their team-mates.

“I’m actually surprised at myself that it effected me like it did if I’m honest, but it did.”

The incident though was made all the more controversial as referee Robert Whitton raced over and originally brandished Nurse just a yellow card.

However, following the uproar on the pitch and from the dugout he eventually consulted his assistant and fourth official, before reversing his decision and sending the Barnet man off.

Still said: “As soon as it happened, the fourth official (had a better view). I don’t know the referee’s view, the referee can only give what he sees and I understand that.

“But, the fourth official was standing right next to us and I think it was him that made it clear to the referee.

“I don’t think he would have said anything unless the referee hadn’t gone over to the linesman and asked ‘did you see it?’

“I think he saw by the uproar around it, the state of the challenge and I think that once he did that, the fourth official was letting him know that he had seen the incident quite clearly, because he had our view.

“And I think that once he spoke to him, he realised that it was a sending off.

“You know what, I’m not worried about him being sent off. The fact that Jon’s one of my old players and someone that I like, regardless of whether it’s a sending off or not, I’m not bothered.

“My thoughts are with Jonathan. Whether Jon had stayed on or not, as far as I’m concerned it’s not about that, it’s about Jonathan Smith.”

And Still is hopeful that Smith will make a full recovery and his indomitable spirit will be key to that.

He added: “Absolutely that’s what we hope, yes. I think that people that know Jon, they know what he’s all about.

“He’s one of them people that wears his heart on his sleeve when he plays and it’s one of those situations where I think he will look back at it now, and think maybe when he’s fully with it and everything, that Smudge will look at that and think the boys dug in for me because he’d have done the same so I’m happy with all that.”