ACCRINGTON Stanley manager James Beattie labelled the decision to abandon today's derby with Morecambe a "bad" one.

The Reds were looking to add to back-to-back wins and would have fancied their chances after the Shrimps were reduced to 10 men just before half-time.

Alex Kenyon was sent off for a late challenge on Peter Murphy.

But around 10 minutes into the second half referee James Adcock abandoned the game with the scoreline 0-0, after a heavy downpour left standing water in parts of the pitch.

However, Beattie felt the pitch was still playable.

"It's a bad decision. I can't put it in more simple terms than that," he said.

"I'm not best pleased about it. The ball stuck once as far as I was concerned in the second half.

"I think even to postpone the game for just a few minutes would have been enough because it stopped raining soon after and the pitch drains very quickly.

"It was under water on Friday but at the start of the game it was perfect.

"Yes it was raining but the pitch was draining probably at the rate that it was raining.

"None of the players were complaining as such. The Morecambe staff were obviously being down to 10 men and they were maybe doing everything they could to try to get the game off at half-time to try to influence the referee. But that's football.

"I think the referee could have given the game more time."