Rothbury on the road to Gateshead in League Cup

Rothbury’s joint player/manager Tom Macpherson admits the side face another tough tie on Saturday (22/9/18) when they visit Gateshead Redheugh 1957 in the First Round of the Reeves Independent George Dobbins League Cup (kick-off 2pm, Eslington Park).

The George Dobbins is the Northern Alliance’s premier Cup competition, featuring sides from all three Divisions, and Macpherson says that the potential of a clash with a Premier Division side, if they should advance against their fellow Division Two outfit, can give the players a boost.

“The tie is another test, away from home, so we assume the pitch won’t be the same surface as Armstrong Park. However, we will stick to our passing football where possible. Our forward line is brimming with confidence and are sure to cause them problems,” he said.

Rothbury joint player managers Tom Macpherson and Dan Herron

“Ahead of the game we will be making sure the lads are up for it with the potential of a Premier Division team, Chemfica or F.C. United, in the next round. We have six players missing, but fortunately we still have 18 players to choose from, so the players who are selected have a chance to nail a spot in the team.”

Macpherson was pleased with last Saturday’s Amateur Cup victory over Whitley Bay Sporting and is positive that the team can take the confidence from that win into the fixture.

“The win over Whitley Bay SC was excellent - we weren’t at our best at times but controlled the game throughout, I feel. Dan (Herron) and myself were really pleased with the clean sheet, especially against an outfit we were impressed with,” he continued.

Rothbury won’t be appearing in the Northumberland FA Minor Cup this season due to an administrative error during the busy summer as the club prepared to step-up into the Northern Alliance.

“It’s massively frustrating for us that we won’t be appearing in the Minor Cup. We missed the deadline due to a mix-up in paperwork. But the rules are there for a reason, and we learn for next year,” he admitted.

The Club were, however, given a boost and returned to the top of the Division Two table as Jesmond fell foul of an administrative blunder of their own.

“It’s been a week of mixed news, with the Minor Cup notification on Monday and then on Tuesday we got the news that the result versus Jesmond has been expunged from the records as they played an ineligible player, so we are back at the top of the table.”