Who makes the final call when the pitch looks dangerous?

The journey already made should have no weight in the safety decision. If the surface is dangerous, the fact parents have driven two hours does not make it less dangerous. The match official has responsibilities for whether the game can be played, and the facility/club should also have its own pitch-safety process. From the coach’s side, I would raise the concern clearly and not pressure anybody to play because cancelling is inconvenient. I would rather explain to frustrated parents why a match has been called off than explain why we knowingly played on an unsafe surface. The useful club process is checking as early as possible, communicating uncertainty and having a clear person responsible for venue inspection. But conditions can change. If the pitch is unsafe at kick-off, it is unsafe. Travel time, league position and how badly everybody wants the game should not enter that calculation.