Chasetown FC saw Northwich Victoria pocketed the three points in controversial circumstances at The Scholars Ground.
Early in the second half, after Paul Sullivan’s shot was initially cleared by a Vics’ defender, Tesfa Robinson fired a goalbound effort beyond visiting keeper Steve Dickenson and defender Jack Duggan handled the ball to tip it over the crossbar – but a discussion between the referee and his assistant saw a corner kick given.
Any doubt over the incident was confirmed by the player himself on Twitter:
@alexgregory10 No!! I did not pass it back to the striker!! I hand balled it off the line though!! Penalty not given..#lol
— Jack Duggan (@JackDuggan21) February 23, 2013
Chasetown had played well against the side that had dumped them out of the Doodson Sport League Cup 5-1. Early on, Mark Branch curled a free kick inches wide of Dickenson’s right hand post and a superb cross from Theo Robinson was unbelievably not converted by Nick Wellecomme. The ball struck Wellecomme’s thigh and flew towards the left-hand post where Duggan cleared off the line albeit with his foot this time!
Neither keeper were overly troubled throughout the ninety minutes which was stop-start with Chasetown’s Chris Slater and Northwich’s skipper Ricky Mercer both down injured for lengthy periods of the first half in separate incidents. Slater re-emerged with a bandage round his head with six minutes stoppage time played in the first period.
Northwich took the lead just four minutes before half-time when Chasetown keeper Ryan Price crashed his clearance straight into Gary McEvatt. The ball could have gone anywhere but, fortunately for the Cheshire side, fell straight to the midfielder’s feet and he rolled it into the empty net.
That apart, other than an early save from Dickenson from Paul Sullivan, and a second half save from Ryan Price there was little to write home about, with the game over-shadowed by the second half penalty that never was.
Manager Craig Harris was full of praise for his players at full time commending them for their reaction to the penalty decision. Despite the clear injustice, Chasetown, who top the Fair Play League in the Evo-Stik Division One South, voiced their initial appeals but avoided any dissent for the eventual decision and got on with the game.
Chasetown: Price, Farmer, Branch (Butler, 84 mins), Slater, Bate, Tesfa Robinson, Westwood (Gould, 78 mins), Bragoli, Wellecomme, Sullivan (Hay, 66 mins), Theo Robinson. Subs not used: Jackson, Teesdale.
Northwich Victoria: Dickenson, El Harrati, Mooney, Duggan, Mercer, Summerskill, Harries, Taylor, Bunney (Clarke, 59 mins), Wisdom, McEvatt (Holden, 59 mins). Subs not used: Alexander, Leadbetter, Rainford.
Click below to see more of Dave Birt’s pictures from the game:
