Team Northumbria manager Colin Stromsoy attributed a 3-2 loss to Runcorn Linnets in an FA Vase replay to a ‘crazy’ 15 minutes.
After travelling 170 miles to face the North West Counties Football League side, TN found themselves 3-0 down in the first half.
“Runcorn came out all guns blazing, they hit us with a level of intensity that no team has ever hit us with before,” said Stromsoy.
“They ran and ran for 45 minutes but the disappointing thing was they did it without hurting us for the first 25.
“Then we fell asleep and defended a corner very poorly. It was our poorest defence of a corner all season.
“The second goal came five minutes later and then we conceded a penalty for the third – we couldn’t deal with their number 10 (Paul Shanley).
“He [Shanley] was outstanding and one of the best players we’ve played against at this level. How he could head the ball, his combination play and the intensity he plays at was just such high quality.
“From nothing, we were suddenly 3-0 down – I don’t think we’ve been 3-0 down in the last three years.
“We knew it was going to be a different type of game in the second half because they’d ran so hard in the first, they couldn’t possibly do that again in the second.
“At the same time, we did have to get some things sorted. We regrouped and we needed to made sure that we made a good account of ourselves.
“Me and all the rest of the guys weren’t coming all this way to go home with our tails between our legs at 5-0 or worse.”
The second half saw TN step up their game, with Angelos Eleftheardis clawing one back for TN, followed by skipper Robbie Spence scoring another to put TN only one behind with six minutes to go.
“In the final six minutes we had three great opportunities to level the game and almost with the last kick of the game we should have scored,” added Stromsoy.
“Derek [Forest] and I have got to be very pleased and proud of the second half performance but equally we’ve got to be very disappointed by that 15-minute crazy spell.”
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