KEVIN Bond blasted referee Andy D'Urso after Cherries were denied a "blatant" penalty at Aldershot Town yesterday.

Essex official D'Urso left Bond fuming for the second season in a row after the Essex official sent off Shaun Cooper and stunned Dean Court with a series of baffling decisions during Cherries' 2-0 League One defeat to Doncaster Rovers in February.

And D'Urso was up to his old tricks again at the EEB Stadium yesterday as Cherries came from behind to snatch a point and spoil the Shots' Football League homecoming party.

Leicester City loanee Reneil Sappleton's 82nd-minute thunderbolt saw Cherries notch their second point of the new season after Louie Soares had put the Shots in front just after the hour mark.

But it was D'Urso who stole the headlines once again when he mysteriously waved play on after Shots substitute Lewis Chalmers appeared to claw Brett Pitman's late header off the line.

Bond said: "It looked like the most blatant handball I've ever seen. Andy D'Urso refereed the game for us last year and we ended up getting hauled in front of the FA after some of the decisions in that game.

"A couple of the advantages when he pulled us up in the first half were unbelievable and the penalty incident, I thought, was ridiculously blatant, but he has decided in his wisdom that it wasn't a penalty."

With Jason Pearce nursing a sore hamstring during the warm-up, Bond was forced to thrust Joel Ward into the fray at the 11th hour.

And the 18-year-old, who impressed during Tuesday night's Carling Cup defeat at home to Cardiff City, turned in a competent display at the heart of Bond's back four under pressure from impressive Shots frontmen Marvin Morgan and John Grant.

Ward, on a season-long loan from Portsmouth, told the Echo: "You're always prepared for a game and I was prepared today. It's a shame for Pearcey but I was ready to play.

"I thought I handled myself on Tuesday night and it's a great honour to be playing so when I get a chance I have to make sure I take it.

"They were a real handful up front and quick going forward and I thought they played good football too.

"He (Morgan) was quick and strong but I thought we played well and we could have got something more from the game."

Bond added: "Pearcey was fine in the week during training but he felt his hamstring. He really wanted to play but he knew that if he did he'd either cost us or do himself more damage and be out for longer.

"Joel Ward, in fairness, was unlucky not to start anyway as I thought he played particularly well at right-back on Tuesday. But he's come back in and taken over from Pearcey and not let anyone down at all."