Whitley Bay SC 2 Rothbury 1
Northern Football Alliance Division One
A nightmarish Mr. Punch repeatedly whacking a crocodile on
the head, the dome of old Spanish City, illuminated slot machines and the speeded-up
jangle of an ice cream van, a seagull swooping to nick a child’s chips on the front
as the grey North Sea crashes in by empty white B&Bs…who knows what visions
invaded the minds of the Rothbury players as they replayed this game in their
heads in bed on Saturday night.
A quiet out-of-season former seaside resort that comes alive
in the neon of night; the shouts of the teams and the referee’s whistle carried
on the wind behind distant brick streets from the strange isolation of a middle
school setting, the white lines, the nets and nearby 3G cage, a handful of
spectators stood dotted around the touchline – it could almost run like a
surreal movie in negatives.
Two devastating minutes mid-way through the second half
ensured that those dreams would be wracked with some anxiety as all of the
Reds’ good work was undone and they went down to an unlucky sixth successive
defeat.
Firstly Adam Whitehead, in his blue shirt, the ball bobbling
on the carved-up surface as Rothbury only half cleared, picked his spot and
drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box. It’s almost in slow motion. The
ball slaps into the bottom corner and everything speeds up again. Cheers and
celebrations. Stoop to pick it out and hoof it bouncing back up the muddy park
in disgust.
Just 120 seconds later the ball was in the back of the
Rothbury net again. That sinking feeling. Here we go again. A high swirling
ball caught in the wind which fell for a striker to hit on the volley. Paul
Appleby pulled off a great to save to parry and it fell kindly to Thomas
Atkinson to smash in. Groans as the dull thud of a boot on leather is quickly followed
by the sharp clink of rope pulling on metal hooks.
But for 70 minutes it was like chasing ghosts as the Reds got
to grips with the heavy pitch and played the ball around superbly. Manager Dan
Herron couldn’t fault the effort and style that his side had put in, saying: “We
were desperately unlucky to not get something from the game, but it’s our own
doing unfortunately.”
“We had five or six really good chances in the first half -
Greg Woodburn and Chrissy Coe were causing havoc down the right. Greg rounded
to keeper and went wide from a tight angle. Also Greg ran past two of their
players and fizzed one in for Gareth McCann, but it was cut out well for a corner.
We had lots of joy in the first half but couldn’t capitalise.”
If that inability to hit the back of the net had proved a
bit frustrating for the Reds it didn’t show as they came roaring back out of
the blocks in the second period and went ahead after just three minutes. Harry
Felton played a quality ball over the top as Rothbury counter-attacked at pace
and hit-man McCann went around the keeper to hammer it rippling high into the
roof of the net. Coe almost added a second just five minutes later, but couldn’t
get the ball out from his feet to let fly.
“After we went 2-1 down we just didn’t react,” said Herron.
“We looked totally deflated and didn’t play any football at
all after that point. It was such a contrast as some of our play in the first
half was some of our best all season, which I was so proud of given we had the
bare 11 players.”
With both Forest Hall and basement side Felling Magpies
pulling off unlikely victories, Rothbury have now been sucked perilously close
to the relegation zone and need their luck to change – and fast. Bring rabbit’s
feet, white heather and horseshoes; walk three times backwards around the Drake
stone, if you have to - anything to bring some semblance of fortune back to
Armstrong Park.
For while Reds’ boss Herron is not one for superstitions his
side could do with a little rub of the green as, despite playing well, they’ve
only picked up 3 points from a possible 21 so far in 2020. Add a semi-final
defeat on penalties into the mix and you’d forgive him for inviting some
long-haired New Age Feng shui shyster into the dressing rooms.
“I was gutted we didn’t get the win that I personally
thought we deserved. Just for having such a short squad and the way we played,
I was over the moon for the lads up until the 70th minute,” continued the boss.
“But we’re improving and we need to mentally switch on to
close out games. It’s a shame because we’ve been undone by ugly mistakes in
contrast to our attractive passing style, but sometimes that gets teams
results.”
Herron said that he just needed his players to turn that
opening 70 minutes into the full 90 and felt that his side were gradually
getting to that point.
“Chris Case at right back had a great game - he was like a
young Cafu! So composed and reads a game really well. Greg Woodburn was immense
in the centre of midfield too. He was quality on the ball and really drove us
into the final third.”
The disappointment of a result like this soon fades to
become a memory, a distorted dream, only recalled in the stark reality of a
score-line recorded in black print on a white page. Herron also said defiantly after:
“We go again.” Throw the boots in the back and point the cars to Simonside.
Saturday is another game, and another chance to add three points to the table.
Hillmen never stop believing.
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