GEOFF Butler slammed referee Kevin Barnes after the Swindon-based official awarded Chippenham Town a controversial penalty during Weymouth's

1-1 draw at Hardenhuish Park last night.

The Terras boss was left fuming after a handball decision against Simon Browne gave Bluebirds' Martin Paul the chance to fire his side ahead in this Dr Martens Premier Division clash.

But a determined final 15 minutes saw Weymouth hit back and it was loan Yeovil frontman Chris Giles who headed a late equaliser in front of his watching

manager Gary Johnson.

However all the talk after the game surrounded the 67th minute penalty award, which came after Browne blocked a powerful close range shot from Paul underneath his own bar.

Butler raged: "Simon is adamant that the ball hit him in the chest and I asked the referee afterwards who the decision was given on and he couldn't tell me, which really says it all.

"If the referee thought it was handball on the line then he should have sent Simon off and yet he didn't even give a yellow card."

He added: "The referee

didn't do us any favours all night and at times I thought he might have been wearing a blue shirt under his black one. But I don't want to say any more because I'll get into trouble."

The penalty incident aside, Butler said he was delighted at the way his players responded to his recent tongue-lashings following their poor displays against Grantham and Tiverton.

'Simon is adamant that the ball hit him in the chest and I asked the referee afterwards who the decision was given on and he couldn't tell me'

"It would have been a real travesty had we not equalised. I can't really fault the players because they performed much better, although I couldn't really see where that goal was coming from because we didn't hit the target enough," he said.

"After Chippenham went ahead we really went for the jugular and if the players had put that much effort into the first half I think we would have won convincingly."

Meanwhile, Butler said he was

delighted to have signed 19-year-old

ex-Manchester United trainee striker Marc Whiteman, who comes to the Wessex Stadium on the recommendation of Woking boss Geoff Chapple.

Butler said: "We don't know how

long Chris Giles will be here so there was a need for another striker and

I'm hoping Marc will fit the bill. He's had a good training up at Old Trafford and he's good at holding the ball up which is not where Lee Phillips'

qualities lie."

Jersey-based Whiteman, who joins on non-contract terms, added: "I've spent some time at Bury and played pre-season with Woking and I know Geoff Chapple was keen to sign me but didn't have enough money left.

"My agent got in touch with Geoff Butler and now I'm looking forward to getting some games under my belt."