BROWN HITS DOUBLE IN REDS BATTLING WIN

Rothbury 4 FC United of Newcastle 1

Northern Football Alliance Division One

If FC United’s number six in the middle of the park was like Vinnie Jones, then Tony Brown was Rothbury’s Gazza.

The talented midfield maestro netted twice, rattled the woodwork twice, and was only denied a hat-trick by a diving penalty save.

But playmaker Brown’s ball skills were almost overshadowed by other events in an action-packed game full of incident as the Reds had to roll up their sleeves and dig in deep for the three points in a bad-tempered encounter.

Some of the FC United squad got lost on their way to the game. The black and whites lost their way on the pitch, too, as they allowed a string of decisions to get to them.

Boisterous, brash, aggressive, there is a touch of the Wimbledon about the Eastenders approach; there was a clash of playing styles, too, with the more direct black and white’s in stark contrast to Rothbury’s possession football. Not that the visitors couldn’t play, as they had some talented footballers, but their ‘no-one likes us, we don’t care’ attitude led to a number of confrontations.

“I was over the moon with the lads for keeping their cool - we could easily have dropped to their level but we didn’t,” said manager Dan Herron afterwards.

“The lads were patient despite missing a few chances earlier on, and we got what we deserved, although it could have been by a lot more.”

With some of the Newcastle lads driving as far afield as Belsay, and hit by suspensions and injuries, they kicked off with ten men and only got up to full strength after 10 minutes when a stand-in goalkeeper jogged over to take his place between the sticks.

He was soon tested as Chris Coe cut in front the left and he got down to smother, then James Jackson curled one just inches over. Youngster Harry Felton then blazed an Alex Makin cross high over the bar from close range.

Brown let fly with a low drive from 25 yards and was unlucky as it cannoned back off the foot of the post before Rothbury finally got themselves ahead five minutes before the break. Felton was left flattened on the deck in an off-the-ball incident that saw the visitors reduced to ten-men through a red card, and Brown stepped up to flight a delightful free kick over the wall and into the top corner.

He was inches from adding a second four minutes later when Greg Woodburn was sent sprawling on the edge of the box, and his bending dead-ball effort hit the top of the bar.

Early in the second half Jackson’s clever ball over the top put in McCann, who was taken out by the on-rushing keeper for a penalty. Brown’s low effort from the spot was brilliant saved by the diving stopper.

The game threatened to descend into bedlam shortly after as FC United reacted angrily when they were temporarily reduced to nine men through a sin-bin decision that left them incensed.

But they got themselves on level terms soon after as Rothbury keeper Dom McMahon turned a curling free kick over the bar, and from the resultant corner the bouncing ball struck the hand of a Rothbury defender. The Reds felt the penalty award was harsh and Woodburn found himself sin-binned for his protests. Dylan Swann span and tucked away from the spot, flashing the Vs to the crowd in true Robin Friday style in celebration.

Rothbury, however, produced the perfect response and were back ahead within seconds, Makin’s long throw being poked home by the ace predator McCann at the near post. Within a couple of minutes the Reds were celebrating again as Felton fired in Coe’s deep cross at the back post.

The 17-year-old was also instrumental in Rothbury’s fourth, having his heels clipped in the box and being sent tumbling for another penalty in the 83^rd minute.

Brown coolly stepped up again and made no mistake this time, sending the keeper the wrong way with his instep low into the corner.

“I was pleased for Tony - he’s getting better and better by the game. Fitness is a key thing for him. He makes us tick and adds that real bit of quality from all types of set pieces,” added Herron, who was also full of praise for the effort put in by the young players in the Rothbury squad in what could have been a quite intimidating fixture.

“We have got some really good youngsters. Harry was excellent and deserved his Man of the Match award,” he said.

“Also young Dylan Handyside is another strong talent we hope to develop into a key player for the club. The refreshing thing is their attitudes, they want to impress and both look to play where they can, which obviously suits us.”

“You have to remember we have a young team with Greg, Kyle, Sam, James Loughborough, Lawsy, Chrissy and Hammy all being in that bracket too. It’s good to mix them with the older heads to learn from experience. With a bit of luck we’ll get some more youngsters coming through in the future from the u14/u15s teams, so it looks good for us.”