Assistant referee Sam Hayon has thanked Peckham Town First Aiders Paul Kemsley and Rohan Howitt for their quick actions after he was accidentally struck in the face by the ball during the club’s 2-0 win at Metrogas on Saturday. The official needed lengthy treatment, following the incident early in the second half with the game at New Eltham held up for eight minutes.
Hayon says the efforts of Kemsley and Howitt aided his recovery, avoiding a trip to hospital, enabling him to continue, and the match completed. Armed with blood pressure and heart rate monitor and a defibrillator, the pair ensured Hayon was in safe hands.
He said: “I was keeping up with the last man when a clearance by a Metrogas player hit me on the left hand side of my face, affecting my eye socket and jarring my neck. I fell to the floor and was seeing stars for a time. I must thank the physios – they did everything for me – the gadgetry they had was fantastic.”
He added: “I managed to carry on, even though I wasn’t feeling 100%, and didn’t want to let down the teams. It was my lucky day, I also managed to drive myself home, slowly.”
Referee Dave Hooker also tweeted his thanks – “superb work # professional.”
Ali Amisu scored both goals to win the game, taking him into double figures for the season.
Town lead the Premier Division table by a point