DARLINGTON’S postponed match at Accrington on Tuesday evening should have been played the Lancashire club have claimed.

The match was called off following an early afternoon pitch inspection by a local referee who was concerned at the amount of water on the playing surface.

He feared the pitch was liable to freeze if the temperature dropped ahead of the game, but Accrington Stanley chief executive Rob Heys says the surface was playable.

He said: “It was extremely disappointing to be honest.

“The pitch is playable but the referee who came to assess the surface said he was concerned about a couple of areas of the pitch because they might have frozen over as the night went on.

“His decision was final and it’s caused us a lot more work because we had to struggle to arrange the game for this week.

“I went on the pitch later in the day and it was definitely playable, but I think the referee was concerned that Darlington were having to travel down from the North-East and didn’t want them to travel unnecessarily.

“Sometimes there is severe frost or heavy snowfall and there’s nothing you can do about that.

“But that wasn’t the case and the pitch was in good condition and the game could have been played.”

It was the second time the fixture had been postponed as it was originally scheduled for January 10 but the Fraser Eagle Stadium pitch was deemed frozen on that occasion.

A date for the rearranged game has yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, it was reported last night that Seb Carole is to leave Darlington and join League One Huddersfield.

The French winger joined Quakers on short-term deal in late November and has made seven appearances, three as sub, including one off the bench in last Saturday’s win over Luton Town.