‘A hard watch’ as 10man Hawks bow out
Rooney’s first half red card a key moment in FA Trophy elimination
Hawks boss Paul Doswell assessed his side's FA Trophy exit at National League South rivals Slough Town and conceded: It was a very hard watch.
The defining moment of the second round tie came when Paul Rooney was dismissed for a tug on Aaron Kuhl in the area, who dispatched the resulting penalty on the halfhour mark to wrap up a 1-0 win for the home side.
It capped more frustration for Hawks at the hands of Slough after they suffered a 2-1 home league defeat to the same opposition last month, where Kuhl also netted from a spot-kick.
Coincidentally, Doswell's side also had a player dismissed in that one, with striker Tommy Wright controversially seeing red.
The Hawks boss admitted he was not 'overly happy' with his side's showing - and felt any neutrals watching would have been inclined to 'close their curtains' on what was an underwhelming spectacle.
Doswell said: ‘Disappointed with the result, not overly happy with the performance, but it was a game that I predicted coming up here.
‘I knew with the storm predicted, the wind, it was bitterly cold and if you were a neutral you would probably have closed your curtains on this game.
‘It wasn’t a good game to watch, I don’t think either team showed National League South level in the game but weather conditions dictated how a lot of that game was played.
‘It was probably a goal either side that was going to win it. I thought once they got that goal we knew it was going to be tough and that would be how the game would pan out.’
Doswell had no complaints at the awarding of the penalty against his side after Rooney's tug back on Kuhl.
However, he felt the dismissal of the midfielder was slightly harsh as
Hawks' Trophy participation ended at the first hurdle.
Doswell added: ‘I think Roons (Rooney) had probably lacked concentra- tion. The ball has gone under his foot, he was probably relaxed at that point, looking for where his next pass was.
‘It was a clear pull back on the lad, it’s a penalty, unfortunately - if Roons had actually made a scissorkick tackle he wouldn’t have got sent off. It’s a bizarre rule.
‘I think, for me, if you’ve been given the penalty against you that should be enough.
‘As I said, that was a big part of the game. We obviously went down to 10 men, they got their goal and the
rest of the game was a very hard watch.’
Hawks now have two home league games in the space of four days - against Dulwich Hamlet on Wednesday and Bath City on Saturday.
Rooney’s suspension won’t start until next weekend.