Conor Tinnion: Sometimes you need a bit of luck
Double goalscorer and Captain Fantastic Conor Tinnion emphasised how Reds needed a bit of luck to win at Tadcaster Albion yesterday.
Tinnion, who scored our second and third goals in the dramatic 2-4 win in Yorkshire, was speaking post-match as Danny Grainger’s side maintained a 10-point lead at the top of the table.
The first of three key interventions from the 29-year-old was an incredible sliding tackle to prevent a certain first-half goal (pictured by Matthew Appleby).
Taddy striker Jake Day had an open goal for around 30 yards but opted to try and dribble the ball in at 1-1, just before the interval.
“I think he’s done me a favour to be honest! I’m not sure why he took so many touches,” said an almost flabbergasted Tinners.
“I’m not the fastest myself but I thought ‘I might as well slide’ and luckily, I didn’t get sent off and managed to get him.
“Hopefully, it gave us a bit of spark. We were flat up until that point. Brock [Liam Brockbank], as well, he made an unbelievable clearance.
“We rode our luck; I think it’s fair to say we weren’t brilliant. Sometimes you just need a bit of that.
“Myself and Brock’s clearances really should be goals on any other day but we managed two score two and build on it, which is credit to the lads.”
At the other end, the skipper made his mark by producing a sweetly-struck free-kick on the other side of break to give us the lead.
Then 10 minutes after Taddy equalised in the 69th, Tinners slalomed through to slot home and give us the lead for the first time in front of our ever-impressive away support.
“The away lot are always brilliant. Obviously, if there was any trouble [regarding a report of racism], I wasn’t there to hear it and can’t comment.
“In terms of cheering the lads on and creating an atmosphere for us, I’ve said before: it feels like a home game. You could see if gave us a lift in the second-half when they got louder and louder and dragged us over the line.
“We shouldn’t underestimate what an advantage that is. I haven’t seen any other teams have that away support.
“It’s probably the best I’ve seen them this season.”
Despite six goals, a penalty, and Nathan Waterston’s dislocated shoulder, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic loomed over the packed Global Stadium on its reopening after recent flooding.
Tinnion (below) handed over our £300 donation to help a fellow-flooded club when we mingled after the football had finished, and a candid Conor revealed what it was like playing in such a unique match.
“It was strange. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Far more clever people don’t know – so we’ve got no chance,” he admitted.
“It’s all anyone’s talking about. ‘How long are we going to be off for?,’ ‘What are you going to do if we can’t finish?.’ It was just about getting that out of our minds and to be honest, I don’t think we fully did it.
“We can’t just pretend we turned up and it was business as usual. The backdrop of the coronavirus stuff was strange and we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“If we’re told to keep playing, we’ll keep playing but we’ll just take it as it comes.”
Reds now await to hear news from the Northern Premier League at a meeting tomorrow.
