Pitchero Non League

Jamie Rowbotham

....overshadowed the team's 5-0 thrashing of derby rivals Grimsby Borough in the Baris Northern Counties East League on Bank Holiday Monday.

The striker broke his left leg for the second time inside eighteen months during the second of half of the Division One clash at Park Avenue. Rowbotham, who netted thirty-eight goals in the club's 2009/10 championship-winning season, spent fifteen months out of the game when he broke his leg in the first game of last season.

He returned in November and was finding his way back to form, with three goals in his last four outings going into the game.

Spirits were high in the White Wolves camp ahead of the second festive derby clash against Borough – Louth had lost just once in eleven outings and had beaten the Wilderness Boys 2-1 at the Bradley Community Stadium six days earlier.

And after Boro goalkeeper Miles Fenty's sending-off early in the first half, Louth were 4-0 up and cruising.

But the game was marred by Rowbotham's injury on 75 minutes.

Walden was quick to proclaim the innocence of the tackle from Boro skipper Shaun Baker on Rowbotham – a challenge he described as "innocuous".

Onlookers said the injury was accentuated because the boot on the Louth man's other leg appeared to get stuck in the turf at the moment of impact.

After a long delay of more than 15 minutes, the match was completed.

Four goals from Steve Norton and a Jamie Coulson strike had earned the White Wolves a convincing 5-0 win.

Walden said Rowbotham's injury "overshadowed everything".

He went on: "It's a bad break and hopefully he will have an operation as soon as possible.

"The break is in exactly the same place on his left leg.

"We are all devastated for Jamie and it's a bitter pill top take.

"I saw him before the game and he talked about being down because he felt he should be playing better, but he said his leg felt fine.

"It was an innocuous challenge, but his standing foot got caught and you could hear the 'pop' in the stands – it was a bad one."

Before Rowbotham's injury, Louth were already reeling after a fire at Park Avenue obliterated the groundsman's shed.

Chairman Steve Clark has estimated the blaze – believed to have started in the early hours of New Year's Day as a result of youths setting fire to a nearby wheelie bin – caused damages of up to £2,000 because of the equipment inside it that was destroyed. Walden added: "The damage was close to the pitch and the committee worked unbelievably well to ensure the game went ahead."

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