ONE OF THOSE GAMES…

….where I am scratching my head as to how to start to describe it.  Frankly, it was all over the shop.

Northallerton were very poor in the first half – by all accounts a different team performance from their game on Saturday.  Their play was disjointed and at times they looked as though they’d never played together before.

The players didn’t help their own cause by some very loose passing as well as punting long balls forward that were easily intercepted by the Redcar defence stepping forward.

Athletic were the better team in the opening 45 minutes, looking a much more cohesive unit and deserved to go into the break ahead.  They thought they’d taken the lead in the 12th minute when a ball into the box by Lee Farrington somehow ended up in the net only for a Redcar player to be ruled offside.  Seconds later they scored a goal that counted – former Northallerton player Nick Martin held off a couple of defenders, allowing the ball to run on to Connor Smith whose first time shot hit the net to put the visitors 1-0 up.

Northallerton’s second half display was much better even though they conceded a goal after only three minutes of the re-start, with Isaac Walker latching on to a through ball and calmly placing it past Town keeper Thomas Dawson.

Town started to play with more energy and attacking intent and one of their high, long balls finally paid dividends – left back Shaun Hudson launching one into the Redcar area where it as controlled by Jack Stapley before the No. 11 was able to knock it past Athletic keeper Matthew Bateman.

It was a bit of bruising night for both keepers – both needing treatment by their respective physios, with Bateman twice needing attention.

And then the game turned into a testy affair, both on the field and between the coaching staff.  And as if that wasn’t bad enough, any momentum that the game had started to gather was stopped in its tracks by a series of fouls and bookings.

Northallerton came close to grabbing an equaliser a couple of times in the last 10 minutes.  Bateman made back-to-back saves and then Northallerton blasted a shot over the bar.

In the first half a Northallerton player shouted at his team mates:  “We’re better than this.”  Both teams can play better, but at least Redcar will be happy with the points.

Northallerton Town 1 Redcar Athletic 2 – Ebac Northern League Division One

Mike Snowdon