Late controversy scuppers Hexham

Posted by Hexham FC on Dec 14, 09 09:58 PM in Sport

Swalwell 2 Hexham 2

Hexham travelled to the site of the old coke works on Spar Well Road, Blaydon on Saturday which is now home to the Swalwell Juniors football club. Alongside the junior section the senior team play their home games at these impressive facilities. The pitch itself was not quite as impressive and the strain of many matches and the recent rain had taken its toll.

The surface was heavily sanded and in racing circles it would have been described as Heavy. But it was good to get the game on and Hexham had the luxury of naming four subs as some of the injuries and illness were beginning to clear up.

Hexham v Swalwell

From the off Hexham looked good as long as they kept the ball on the ground with Tom Phillips and Jamie McNamee leading the attack. Any aerial threat was snubbed out quickly by centre half Jason Raper who had a definite height advantage. So the ball had to be played to feet and into space from the midfield pair of Scott Coates and Neil Tiffin.

This was successful and Hexham had plenty of pressure which allowed wing back Steven Coates plenty of opportunities to get forward. The first goal came from a short corner after Stevens Brother Scott fired a fierce shot which struck the crossbar and rebounded back to him, quick as a flash he played the ball back into the danger area and Tom Phillips got the faintest of touches to direct it towards the goal.

The retreating defender could only help it on its way into the net. The second half was much the same but the killer goals would not come no matter how much Hexham pushed. After an hour Hexham increased their lead, Tom Phillips beat his marker and touched the ball past the on rushing keeper only to be brought crashing to the ground. The resulting penalty was delayed as Tom received lengthy treatment but that did not worry Scott Coates who successfully dispatched his third penalty in the last four matches.

Hexham now just had to run down the clock to take home the points and on two occasions had the ball in the net again only to be thwarted by the linesman's flag. The first decision was correct when Neil Tiffin scored from a corner but there were serious doubts about the strike from Curtis Harvey after he finished off a flowing move started on the right wing.

Hexham v Swalwell But this game summed up Hexham's season, after playing some good football and leading for long periods of the game it all came crashing down about their ears in the closing moments. With only seven minutes on the clock remaining Hexham keeper Sean Heads had had a quiet afternoon but in those closing moments he had to pick the ball out of his net twice.

Both times the he was left one on one and although the second time he almost kept them out but there was nothing he could have done. Mutually these goals were in doubt as on both occasions the referee felt justified in ignoring the linesman's flag.

Feelings were running high as Hexham received two yellow cards in disputing the decision. This was Hexham's midpoint in a thirty match season so as half term report "Better than last year but room for improvement". Where games had been lost in previous seasons this year the side has been picking up points and the defence have certainly improved.

For the first time the team heads into the second half of the season with a positive goal difference and more points than ever before. The last game before the Christmas and New Year break is on Saturday at the Wentworth against Wallsend BC, kick off 2pm

Hexham v Swalwell