Reality got skewed on Saturday when word rippled across the Northern Inland Premier League landscape about a supposed “all-in brawl” between Tamworth FC and South Armidale that resulted in two players from both sides being sent off.
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Tamworth FC coach Greg Bartlett and Northern Inland Football chairman Tim Coates were left bemused by the fake news surrounding FC’s 2-1 home win.
“There was no all-in brawl … You couldn’t get any further from the truth than there being an all-in brawl,” Bartlett said on Sunday.
There were incidents, though, with South Armidale’s Jamie Wright sent off late in the game after receiving a second yellow card for a bad tackle.
FC keeper Kameron Manks responded to that incident by throwing the football at a Scorpions player and getting marched.
For Wright, it was just about the worst way to return to action after being suspended in last season’s grand final.
Despite the ugly ending to the match, Bartlett denied the game was ill-tempered. “It was just a good hard game of Premier League,” he said.
Bartlett said Manks cut a bitterly disappointed figure following the match.
He admitted the loss of his first-choice keeper for this weekend’s clash against Oxley Vale Attunga was a blow.
FC opened the scoring on Saturday when striker Beau Langenbaker netted midway through the first half. The equaliser came from the boot of Wright. FC made it 2-1 when Ryan Davidson latched on to a corner kick that bobbled in front of goal.