CONFUSION surrounded referee Graham Salisbury's controversial decision to allow Luton Town to retake a second-half penalty on Saturday.

There was little argument over the awarding of the initial penalty on 51 minutes after Graham Potter clearly pushed Stuart Douglas in the back.

However, after Alan Fettis had brilliantly saved Steve Howard's well-taken first effort, Salisbury, who at full-time had to be escorted from the pitch, risked the wrath of the City faithful by ordering it to be retaken.

City boss Terry Dolan later insisted Salisbury had made his decision because Fettis had moved forward to make the save.

However, Salisbury later claimed it was primarily because of encroachment by City players into the box.

With Fettis saving Howard's second spot-kick it could be argued his decision did not matter, but in many ways it proved decisive.

Howard, having upset his team-mates over his insistence on taking both penalties and then missing both, came close to trading blows with fellow Hatters Aaron Skelton and Kevin Nicholls.

A furious Luton boss Joe Kinnear swiftly hauled off the burly striker and his replacement, Ian Hillier, who would probably have stayed on the bench had Howard scored one of his penalties and so avoided his bust-up with his own players, promptly grabbed the winner.

City chief Dolan refused to be critical of Salisbury after the game but indicated with some carefully chosen words his displeasure with the performance of the referee's assistants.

"As far as I am concerned, I was not unhappy with the referee's performance," was all the City boss would say.

Howard meanwhile was today facing the axe from a furious Kinnear.

"To rear up against your own team-mates was disgraceful behaviour," said the former Wimbledon boss.

"I won't accept it and you can take it from me he will not be in the team on Tuesday."

Kinnear admitted his side had been fortunate to take all three points.

He said: "It was a ding-dong battle and a game that had just about everything - everything that is good and everything that is bad."

Updated: 11:27 Monday, September 17, 2001