MATCH PREVIEW: Rothbury v Hexham
Thomas Hammond reckons his mate Kyle Smith always puts in his best performances on the pitch after 10 pints of snakebite on a Friday night. But the Reds’ double scoring midfielder said his assessment was way off the mark after the 3-0 win at Whitley Bay Sporting – it was only nine!
All joking and banter aside, while big Smith was chuffed to get on the scoresheet he was even more delighted for his team-mate Chris Coe and the news that his second child is on the way.
“Getting my first goal the other week has really boosted my confidence and I think that it’s shown in the past few weeks,” said Smith, who slid home the opener after just two minutes and tucked away a second 12 minutes later as the side responded in some style to boss Tom Macpherson’s calls to start brighter.
“Mind, they were hardly screamers – just two tap ins, one was a very cheeky back heel Guti would’ve been proud of from Mins and then a buffet ball from Chrissy Coe – help yourself bonny lad – 2-0 to the Reds,” continued Kyle.
“I thought Chris Coe had a really good game on the wing while Josh Blakey also had a good game, he’s definitely coming out of his shell in recent weeks. Overall I’m very pleased with how things are going at the minute. Me personally I’m enjoying football again and playing with a smile on my face which is always a good thing – I think if we can keep these sort of results coming we will be just grand and hopefully finish top 4 and fighting for a promotion spot but we know it’s not going to be easy!”
Lewis Leveny’s delicious chip left the keeper rooted to the spot for the third in the 76th minute as the Hillmen made it 7 wins from 11 and bounced back from their Minor Cup disappointment.
The Rothbury dressing room is a tight one and Kyle was keen to put on record the joy the is felt by everyone connected to the club at the news of another new addition and said: “I would just like to give Chrissy Coe a special shout out and congratulate him, Hannah and little Freddy on the news of another little Coe on the way next year. We are all over the moon for them!”
Player manager Tom Macpherson is just going through the sleepless nights again with a new arrival in his household, and he also felt that Coe had been impressive in the victory.
“We thoroughly deserved the win and dominated the game for large periods although we were a little scrappy in possession at times. We will look to put right this week in training,” he said.
“Overall, I was chuffed with the lads on Saturday, we asked for a quick start and we were 1-0 after two minutes so can’t get much better than that. Lots of positives to take in terms of performance levels, I thought Chris Coe and Lewis Leveny were a constant threat down the flanks and Kyle Smith was dominant in midfield – until his hangover kicked in towards the end!” he laughed. So just the eight pints then, Kyle?
“We defended very well as a team, with a solid shape that we had worked on in training, which is pleasing,” he concluded, while admitting that Saturday’s game against Hexham – who sit just below the Reds in fifth but just on goal difference – at Armstrong Park (kick-off 2.30pm) will be another tough one.
“Hexham are always near the top of the division and they have some good players in their squad. They are usually pretty physical and a solid unit so we have to be prepared for that. It looks set to be an entertaining game with both teams coming into this one in fine form so it would be great to have many home fans down to watch,” he concluded.
Words: Jon Tait Images: Susan Aynsley