ECCLESHILL UNITED head coach Gerard Jones was left fuming after his side went down 2-1 at Bottesford Town in Division One of the Northern Counties East League after the home side were awarded two controversial first-half penalties.

Terry Barwick netted both spot-kicks, just before the half-hour mark and three minutes before the half-time interval. Josh Rosenstrauch pulled a goal back ten minutes into the second half but the Eagles failed to net the equaliser.

The visitors could have been a goal to the good before the first spot-kick but Steve Rivera was denied by the crossbar. They also had a goal chalked off as skipper Charlie Flaherty netted a superb finish, only to find that a team-mate was offside.

Jones said: “I thought we had been robbed to be honest. To say the penalties were dubious would be an understatement and they were the only difference in the game.

“I can only remember our keeper making one save and that was in the first half. The first pen was definitely not one and none of their players appealed. Their bench did and that led to the linesman giving it.

“The second one was given for handball in the box but none of my players touched the ball. We had so many chances we could still have won it anyway.

“I’m very pleased with the performance, Josh’s goal was a great strike into the top corner, so I’m proud of the lads.”