GREAT Harwood boss Dave Sharples was gutted after his side weren't awarded a last gasp penalty in the FA Vase first round at Thornaby.
The game was postponed on Saturday and Harwood travelled to Teeside midweek without top scorer Paul Mashiter.
Thornaby opened the scoring after five minutes after a defensive mix-up between keeper Bobby Harris and Lee Rodgerson.
"After that it was all one way traffic," said Sharples. "There was about five minutes to go and their lad took John Eastham's legs. It was a stonewall penalty and even their manager said to me it was. If we had got that, we would have gone on and won it but the ref wasn't having any of it.
"That sticks in my throat as getting through to the next round would have been financially good for the club. It is gutting."
Harwood hope for better luck at Trafford on Saturday in the NWCL Division One (3pm).
"We have two games in hand on Formby and I think if we can just get off the bottom, pyschologically it will be a big boost for the lads. Then we can pick up points here and there.
"We played well in the second half against Thornaby and hopefully we can take it into the Trafford game."
Mashiter returns to the starting line-up while captain Ryan Parr has gone to Clitheroe and midfielder Lewis Hamlin could stay at the Showground after being linked to Ramsbottom.
