Pylon fire saves North

A SMOKING floodlight pylon just might have saved North's season. Three goals down to Bels after just 34 minutes at Northfield last night, the chocolate-and-blues needed a miracle and it duly arrived in the form of a dodgy capacitor which caught fire in side a towering pylon next to the small stand.

Nearby spectators alerted club and then the match officials of the problem.

The problem light was duly switched off altogether to stop the fire spreading and with no prospect of it going back on again, referee Matt Walsh abandoned the game.

Bels boss Micky Ogier could scarcely believe his side's ill luck having raced into a 3-0 lead in half-an-hour with two classic finishes from Marc McGrath sandwiching one from Danny Felbabel.

'I'm absolutely stunned,' said Ogier.

'The game was won,' he added.

Walsh said he had no choice but to call off the game and send home a good-sized crowd.

'They can't turn both lights back on. A capacitor has gone on one light and that's linked to another. We can't play in the dark,' said the ref.

Bemused spectators, meanwhile, stood around waiting to hear an announcement.

Bels looked certain to go six points clear at the top of the table with their blistering start sparked by Gavin Le Page's horrendous error just seven minutes into the game.

North's island midfielder inexplicably passed straight to McGrath in space 20 yards out facing goal and the Bels' striker needed no second invitation.

On 17min. more hesitant defending by the home side saw McGrath feed co-striker Felbabel and he too gave Paul de Garis no chance.

Then, on 30min., and with North struggling to create anything and find any rhythm, Scott Bradford played a precise pass inside North's left-back and McGrath smashed a superb finish with the outside of his right-foot past de Garis at the near post.

The game will now have to be replayed and there is serious doubt as to whether Northfield will be able to stage any evening games in the coming days.

The first casualty is most likely to be this evening's planned FletcherSports FA Cup tie between Island FM and Courts.

One FA Cup tie that will go ahead tonight is the game at the Corbet Field between Vale Rec and Elizabeth College.