Windscale lost their mid-week Wearside League game 2-1 but in the end felt hard done by.
They had made the trip to Durham Corinthians aiming to make it four in a row against a top Wearside League side.
The game started brightly, as Travis Fyfe, picking up the ball on the left wing, found Jack Wordsworth, but the full-back’s first time shot cleared the bar.
The first dubious moment came when skipper Reece Fretwell played Ben Mahaffy behind and through on goal, only for the linesman’s flag to be raised, causing outrage.
As shown by a video review, Mahaffy was actually four yards onside.
Corinthians tried their luck, as they pressed forward and won a corner, only for it to be headed over by Max Stoker.
Jayden Fulton was having a great time in the attacking midfield role, and won the ball back high up and subsequently was brought down.
Another Fretwell free kick was cleared only for Andrew Begbie to unleash a volley which was three inches away from settling in the top right hand corner.
Corinthains did continue to press, as Levi McAdam was called into action to make a remarkable save from Steven Telford, sparing the blushes of Ryan Fitzwilliam, who accidentally cleared it to the Durham man.
Six minutes later, however, Durham took the lead through a well-worked move, somewhat against the run of play.
Their lead wouldn’t last long as Fretwell picked out Fitzwilliam who made up for his blunder as he rounded the goalkeeper and was free to tap the ball in, but was chopped down by the Durham keeper, Harry Renwick.
It should have been a sending off for the goalkeeper, but the referee did not even brandish a card at all.
Aiden Kegg, the Atoms top scorer in the Wearside League, stepped up and slotted home the penalty on 45 minutes to allow the Atoms to go in at half-time all square.
Three minutes into the second half great play by Mahaffey saw him beat three men before sending Fyfe in behind.
The ball was worked wide and whipped in, before landing at Fretwell’s feet, who on the half volley, put his shot over the top.
The introduction of Lewis Selkirk came on 55 minutes as Fyfe was feeling an injury.
One minute later, Durham had a penalty, as Fulton was deemed to have brought his man down in the box.
The Durham Corinthians man stepped up and was unable to replicate what Kegg did in the first half, and put the penalty wide.
Fretwell then went close, as he struck the post with a clever free kick, which looked to be going in only for the finger tips of Renwick.
On 71 minutes, the most bizarre situation allowed Corinthians to regain the lead.
Atoms keeper Levi McAdam was judged to have handled the ball outside the box while kicking from his hands.
The club video clearly shows McAdam fully inside the area when he cleared the ball.
Subsequently, a free-kick was given to Durham, 15 yards in from where the foul was blown, and directly in the middle of the goal.
With a sweet strike and a ricochet from an Atoms defender, it found its way into the back of the net.
Nine minutes later, McAdam was forced off due to injury to his ankle, after twisting the wrong way on the 4G surface.
With no sub keeper on the bench, Selkirk pulled on the gloves, as he is the Atoms back up keeper for situations like this one while Rob Davidson was introduced for McAdam.
Wordsworth was next to be on the wrong end of a dubious decision, as he carried the ball forward and was fouled.
The referee gave the free kick the other way, much, again, to the dismay of the Atoms and the fouled Wordsworth.
Selkirk proved his worth as the back-up, as he made a great save at his near post, diverting the shot behind for a corner.
The Atoms pushed one last time, and there was more dismay for thrm.
After awarding a throw-in to Windscale it looked a last chance to use Leeson’s long throw and for any of their four men over 6ft 4ins to get on the end of it.
That was until Durham complained and shouted at the officials, who then gave in and reversed the decision, giving the throw to the home side.
At full time it was a loss for the Atoms but it didn’t feel like one, only frustration and disappointment at some of the decisions that went against them.
Man of the match award went to Fretwell.
Here is Stephen Fawcett’s verdict:
