Ebbsfleet had to abandon their game at home to Burton Albion after just over an hour as they led 1-0 against the league leaders on Thursday night.
Ebbsfleet boss Liam Daish was left frustrated after the premature end, but referee Steve Creighton appeared to have little option as heavy snow became progressively worse.
Victory had looked an insurmountable task for Ebbsfleet ahead of the game. Burton had won 14 of their last 15 league games and, despite losing boss Nigel Clough to Derby, they showed no signs of slowing down under Roy McFarland.
Their form was so impressive that the bookies were ready to pay out on Burton taking the title if they beat Ebbsfleet and, with their hosts having won only one of their last eight games in the Blue Square Premier, many punters would have been rubbing their hands.
Ahead of the game, Daish admitted, with his side worryingly close to the relegation zone, that their form in the current campaign had not been as hoped.
“We started off the season with real aspirations and we have still got those aspirations but, for one reason or another, we’re not there at the moment,” he told Setanta.
It was not an ordinary game, though: the weather conditions had already left the pitch covered with a thin coat of snow, and it was floating down at exponential levels.
Burton could point to that in explaining a difficult first half in which Ebbsfleet took a shock lead in the fourth minute.
As the ball was headed clear to the edge of the area, former Watford midfielder Jamie Hand struck a volley and, while it hardly rocketed into the net, it escaped the grasp of veteran keeper Kevin Poole and into the corner for 1-0.
Burton fought back and had the better of the rest of the half, but without ever really troubling the opposition.
Daish was concerned that the visitors were having the better of it but, with no real goal threat, he was content enough.
“We can’t sit back and try to defend 1-0,” he said.
“Without being too gung-ho, we’ve got to be positive and try to go forward, but fair play to the players – they’re doing okay at the moment.”
With the goal and the snow providing the only real talking points, former Derby boss McFarland said his team was struggling in the snow but called on his players to try to make something happen.
“I think we need to do a little bit better in the last third,” he said. “We’ve got there plenty of times, but we haven’t really produced anything in tough conditions.
“It’s tricky for everybody, but we could use the ball better and take a chance and see what happens.”
Burton started to enjoy more efforts on goal in deteriorating conditions, and Marc Goodfellow came close after an hour with a long-range shot that looked bound for the top corner, but Ebbsfleet keeper Lance Cronin kept it out.
Daish admitted just afterwards, though, that it was ‘difficult’ for both teams to play in those conditions and, on 64 minutes, referee Creighton was forced to call an end to the proceedings.
Following the decision, McFarland told Setanta: “We feel sorry for Ebbsfleet, but we’re delighted for ourselves.
“The conditions weren’t good for us. It was hard to play football and to make final pass wasn’t happening.
“We got off tonight, but we genuinely feel the referee made right decision.
“We did have a few injuries but, more than anything else, the conditions have affected us.
“I absolutely understand their frustration, but the referee had no option. It’s probably unjust and unfair, but that’s the way it is – if he can’t see lines, he’s got to call the game off.”
Daish admitted he was ‘very much’ frustrated by events, but said he could not blame the referee.
“It’s something we’ve got to take on the chin,” he said.
“We’ll play the game again and hopefully end up with the same result.”
He added: “I think if we’d cleared the lines properly, it would have carried on.
“I think we could have done that better. I’m disappointed more people didn’t help out, but sometimes it’s sod’s law.
“Maybe I’m reacting too much, but it’s how I feel really. The players are gutted because they’ve done their jobs, but it wasn’t to be.”
Creighton confirmed that the decision was made simply because the pitch marking were no longer visible.
“The conditions out there have deteriorated considerably,” he said.
“The lines were swept at half time, but I spoke to my colleagues and they couldn’t see lines and I couldn’t see lines.
“The conditions got worse and worse and we can’t see the pitch. If we can’t see the pitch, we can’t make decisions.
“The conditions were very much playable – the decision was based on the fact we couldn’t see the markings.
“It’s a very difficult decision, but the conditions became farcical. It was the right decision.”