Rothbury 2 Hexham 2
Northern Football
Alliance Division One
On a weekend of more controversy over video replays and fine
digital lines in the Premier League, Rothbury boss Dan Herron could only shrug
his shoulders and accept the assistant ref’s decisions as the Reds came from
behind twice to claim a good point.
When a computer can’t give a definitive answer to an offside
call, you can hardly expect an amateur footballer with a flag making a split-second
decision to get it right every time and Herron remained philosophical over the
goals netted by Chrissy Coe and Gav Dick that were chalked off in this one.
“I felt a little unlucky with the offsides
but there’s nothing you can do, it’s local football and there’s no VAR!” he
said.
“I didn’t see the first one really, but I
was close to the second and Gav looked on. It would have been a dream start
with Chrissy having the ball in the net after 3 minutes. And the other was in
the last 10 minutes after Gav chipped the keeper on the volley, so they both
could have been vital.”
Hexham went ahead in the 11th minute as stretching
skipper Tom Macpherson inadvertently turned a decent cross into the bottom
corner of his own goal.
The Reds hit back just six minutes later when Coe didn’t get
a full clean contact on his shot following a good build-up down the right but
was celebrating as the bobbling ball bounced in.
The Tynedalers got themselves back in front after 36 minutes
when Kurtis Harvey tucked the ball home from close range, with Herron feeling
it was somewhat unlucky as the ball went through Macpherson’s legs on it’s way
to the striker.
Rothbury levelled for a second time in the 62nd minute
as Dylan Handyside played a superb ball over the top to new signing Scott
Huntley, who unselfishly squared for Dick to finish smartly into the bottom corner.
“It’s been a decent first half of the
season - not as good as we’ve hoped but it was always going to be tough getting
promoted two years on the trot,” said Herron.
“We’re
disappointed to be out of the Minor Cup, but it is what it is. We’re delighted
we’ve got the Combination semi final to look forward to now as well. A draw was
a fair result, I’d say. The game could have gone either way - Keega (Paul
Appleby) made a couple of good saves to keep them out as well. It was a good
physical test, they’re a decent side Hexham.”
The visitors remain two points ahead of Rothbury in seventh
spot with two games in hand, while the Coquetdalers sit comfortably in mid-table
as the Christmas break approaches.
As for the VAR, you can keep it at the top level. When you’ve
got two decent sides playing the game the right way and in the right spirit, it
doesn’t really matter if someone’s nose, armpit or toe is over the line. It’s
impossible to make a call like that in the Northern Alliance.
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