Blue Square Conference North
Feb 9 2010 by Neil Farrington, The Journal
MICK Tait is hopeful simmering anger will keep complacency at bay when Blyth Spartans entertain struggling Harrogate Town tonight.
The Spartans boss and his players are still fuming after three key decisions cost them at least two Blue Square North points at title-chasing Southport on Saturday.
Channelling that sense of injustice into positive action against Harrogate – second-bottom of the table – should earn Blyth a third straight home victory.
Tait admitted: “Not taking them for granted – that is the key to the match.
“They are scrapping for their lives and have enough about them to punish us if we are not right at it.
“However, I fully expect a positive reaction after Saturday, when we just did not achieve the result our performance deserved.
“Southport are an excellent side, and probably edged the first half, but I thought we were the better team after the break and at 2-2 I fully expected us to go on and win the game.
“In the end we’ve been beaten by the referee, not by Southport, which is a bitter pill to swallow.
“Their first goal should have been a free kick for a foul on our goalkeeper, and their third was offside by five yards – but the referee wrongly thought the ball had come off one of our players.
“How they had not gone down to 10 men by then is still beyond me.
“Ian Graham is clean through, and their defender deliberately handles the ball – with both hands – yet does not get sent off.
“It was 2-2 then, and there is every chance Ian would have scored a goal which I believe would have won the game for us.
“To say we felt very aggrieved on Saturday night would be an understatement, but the lads know how well they played and if we can take that positivity – and a little bit of anger – into the Harrogate game, I think we will be fine.”
A thigh strain may deny Tait the services of striker Robbie Dale tonight, while Darren Craddock (foot) is another doubt, but John Brackstone is available to slot in at left-back.
