Sounds more like a good game to learn from Aled! Let's not forget to focus on Key moments? Key incidents? Players involved?
(I'm long in the tooth at this refereeing lark Aled, but here's a bit of advice that was handed down to me when I was fresh at it.)
Make a timeline of your game on a sheet of paper, it only takes maybe 15-20 minutes. Pen in your red/yellows etc. then mark in times of 'incidents' that stood out in your game, perhaps including a yellow you didn't issue but could have, or a bit of dissent that you might not have firmly dealt with at the time (not necessarily using a card, but with a quiet word at least) or maybe the opposite was when you went banging in with a yellow card for a bit of a shove, that could've been kept in your pocket for a really callous or reckless challenge to set the bar a bit 'higher' later on?
I was told to 'start your timeline from the time you leave home, to the time you get home, jot down from memory what you ate, what you drank before and during the game, if you were anxious because of traffic delay to the ground etc, maybe if the manager rubbed you up the wrong way prior to kick off - "Oh have we got you again?" - and how you were when you arrived and asked for the balls, team sheets etc, did you k/o late because of it? had this made you anxious or impatient?'..........it all plays a part mate, and no two games are ever the same, trust me!
Looking at your game's 'history' can really reveal finer points that you can either polish up and develop if they're good for your game, yet also show areas where you might need to change or alter the tiniest of things to make matters work in your favour, rather than perhaps to your disadvantage? You can look back at your season really accurately using this method Aled by laying games against each other and comparing them. (75% of everything we learn is through our eyes I'm told) and look at how things happened when preparing misconduct reports - 'Accurate-Brief-Clear'
I think you're a lad who wants to learn, but as you're at every game you do, you're going to be your best and most honest critic too! Don't ever be too hard on yourself mate, I'm willing to bet just by your attitude that your strengths will probably far outmatch your shortcomings. I Hope you're an RA member, I got tons of advice there myself, the art of the game for me back then was sifting and selecting the advice that really helped, - no two referees are ever the same either!
ps. Thirty one years in and I'm still learning too! Getting what you want involves working at it, keeping up the required standard when you get there requires a little extra
