THERE was controversy at Newton Aycliffe last night when friendly opponents Spennymoor Town refused to come out of the dressing room for the second half.

Moors objected to the nature of Aycliffe’s first half tackling, and just seconds after the half time whistle with Aycliffe winning 1-0, informed their hosts that they would be leaving the Moore Lane ground instead of playing the second half.

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A Spennymoor statement said: “Following discussions at half time by the club and its management, the club has decide not to continue with the game.”

Aycliffe chairman Alan Oliver said that Spennymoor’s decision was a “massive over reaction,” and he pointed out: “It was a niggly game, but it was also competitive. Neither physio needed to go on the pitch at all in the first half. Their manager Jason Ainsley said that they weren’t going to play the second half because of the tackling – but we weren’t over the top.”

In the first half, one Aycliffe player was shown a yellow card, while another was asked to leave the pitch by the referee.