Rothbury 5 Whitley Bay SC 0
Northern Football Alliance
Team Valley Carpets Division Two
MATCH SPONSOR: ANDREW STEWART, ROOFERS & BUILDERS,
ROTHBURY.
As the Rothbury squad were filing out of the dressing rooms
to line-up on the pitch, manager Dan Herron simply asked them to go out and show
everyone why they were top of the League – and they delivered in some style.
The Reds ripped second-placed Whitley Bay SC apart with a
first-half bombardment that has opened them up a three-point gap at the top,
while the Coquetdalers convincing victory could have had a higher margin as
they also slapped the ball off the woodwork on three separate occasions and
could afford the luxury of missing a penalty.
Midfield ace Tony Brown could only grimace as he missed the target with his 15th minute spot-kick – but he showed nerves of
steel to step up coolly roll a second one to the keeper’s left as he guessed
wrong for the fifth goal in the 93rd minute.
“It was an absolutely massive result for us,” beamed Herron
afterwards.
“We were immense in the first half. It’s
one of the most important results since I’ve ran the team, for sure. Tom Macpherson
was huge at the back, especially in the second half, while Greg Woodburn and
Kyle Smith both had great games for us too. To be fair the whole squad
delivered for us.”
Birthday boy Gareth McCann’s 26th celebrations
got off to an early start as he took just three minutes to get himself on the
scoresheet with the opener, rising to head home an in-swinging Brown corner.
Although the ex-Alnwick Town man saw his spot-kick fly wide
after the keeper had brought down Michael Old, the Hillmen had to wait just two
more minutes for the second when James Loughborough made a great run from deep
and was played in by Woodburn to knock it into the corner of the net.
Brown was celebrating himself in the 25th minute
as his dangerous free-kick went through a crowd of players and straight in,
while Dan Thompson’s mazy run and neat finish made it four just a couple of
minutes later in a breathless opening period.
“The lads were buzzing after the game, and
it does give them confidence, but we’re taking nothing for granted,” warned
Herron.
“We’ve got a very difficult trip away to
Willington Quay Saints up next, and there’s no easy game in the Alliance so we
really have to be on it if we want promotion. All in all it was a big result
and another three points on the board.”
Playmaker James Jackson knows just how important
the experience of the senior players in the side can be in the run in and
said: “I think the best way we’ve kept the other lad’s feet on the ground is
through knuckling down and performing ourselves and the younger lads are
thriving off it.”
“The game was over after 20 minutes in
reality and we deserved to be 4-0 up at half time. We were superb - James
Loughborough has been excellent this past month and I was over the moon to see
him grab a goal. Everyone knows Tony Brown’s talents and it was another routine
display from him with a couple of goals and a few assists - all bread and butter to that lad.
Tom Macpherson was outstanding again - anyone could have played alongside him.”
“Gar is in amazing form. I don’t celebrate
his first goals in games anymore because it’s as common as a day ending in Y- he’s an amazing bloke and has really driven us
through a tough patch which we are coming out the back end off, hopefully with
the league title!”
“It’s an amazing achievement to be nearly grabbing
promotion at first attempt but we need to get the job done. However, this is a
club that’s had years of history, maybe not at this level, but I think we’ve
got the attention of the locals and it’s clicking. There was another amazing
crowd and we the players can’t thank those that come along enough.”
“It’s amazing to turn around after another
McCann wondergoal and look up at the hill to see the crowd cheering. We are a
community club - we don’t do this for money, we do it for one another and if
people are enjoying coming along to support that’s even better.”
Jackson was keen to send out a special
message to his team-mate Kyle Smith who also celebrated his birthday the day
after the game, and said: “The lad has had a crazy month and yet he’s there at
every training session and every game and gives 1000%. We don’t have to keep
anyone on the ground really, we are all in it together.”
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