Rothbury 2 Seaton Sluice 2
Northern Football Alliance Division Two
MATCH SPONSOR: PAPA G’S PIZZA, ROTHBURY.
The heat left lethargic Rothbury sweating as they laboured
to a hard-fought point in almost Mediterranean sunshine.
A number slumped on the turf at the end with others
complaining of feet rubbed red raw as the high temperature took a toll on the
performance.
On a positive note, the Reds maintained their unbeaten home
record – but three points would have virtually handed them the title.
Boss Dan Herron admitted it was one of the poorer displays
of the season but remained upbeat and pointed out that Championships are won
across nine months, not one game.
“We were disappointed as we started slow and never really
got going. However, we got a point when maybe we shouldn’t have and Seaton
Sluice are good side, especially the three up front,” he said.
“A point is a point and we’re still on a 25-game unbeaten
run, which is nothing to sniff at. The players did get a dressing down in the
changing rooms after the game but we go again next weekend.”
The Coquetdalers were missing the experienced Tony Brown,
Dan Thompson and injured Michael Old – and it showed as the side never really
displayed their normal quick passing game.
They made a sluggish start with misplaced passes and
disjointed moves making for frustrating viewing, and went behind in the 15th
minute.
Richie Clarke netted his 25th of the season from
the penalty spot with a strike that he didn’t catch cleanly though it still
nestled in the bottom corner of the net.
Rothbury got a break and back into the game in the 37th
minute when the skilful Greg Woodburn was fouled in the box. Striker Gaz McCann
had a bit of trouble settling the ball on the spot – rabbits, reckoned
groundsman Eric Cummings, who maintains the Armstrong Park pitch in superb
nick.
He kept his cool, however, and struck it well to the keeper’s
right, the diving stopper getting a hand to the ball but the power took it into
the corner.
Rothbury were somewhat fortunate to go in at the break on
level terms, the lack of urgency and energy seeing Seaton Sluice create three
or four decent attempts on goal with their right winger in particular causing
problems.
A stern talk from the management at half time saw some
improvement and Rothbury got themselves ahead in the 66th minute
with another McCann penalty. He winced as the keeper again got his hands to the
ball, but breathed a huge sigh of relief as it span back off the inside of the
post and bounced in.
James Jackson attempted to drive things on and almost added
a third soon after as the midfielder’s probing passes in a three-man move saw
his final low shot blocked by the advancing keeper’s feet.
But Rothbury never really upped the tempo and paid the price in
the 75th minute. They didn’t fully clear a ball into the box and
were punished as Jordan Yeomans let fly with a hip-high drive from 30 yards
that zipped inside the post.
Skipper Tom MacPherson pushed forward from the back in a
last-ditch effort to win the game, finding himself in unfamiliar territory on
the left wing from Jackson’s defence-splitting ball.
His deep cross found McCann at the back post and the
hot-shot was inches from completing his hat-trick, and taking his superb
scoring run to 13 in 10 games, as his tricky downward volley looped just over
the bar.
The point, however, sets up a huge game against Blyth FC
next Saturday at Armstrong Park where victory would see them take the title at
the first attempt. With promotion already virtually secured, it seems harsh to criticise
a bad day at the office in sweltering conditions; so it was just one to forget.
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