Vodkat North West Counties League Division One

Norton United 1, Cheadle Town 2

NORTON defender Dave Harper will have an operation this week after breaking his right leg in dangerous conditions.

Two thirds of the pitch at Community Drive were playable, but Harper was the victim of a first-half incident in areas that were rock hard.

Norton manager Dave Beswick said: "I was surprised the game was on because the part protected by the trees had not thawed out.

"The safety of the players should be paramount with the referee, but they were losing their footing and I firmly believe that in normal conditions Dave would not have broken his leg. It was a nothing challenge really, but because there was no give in the ground he went over on his ankle."

Harper suffered a broken fibula and dislocated ankle and is hospitalised until Friday when he has surgery.

Beswick said: "We were playing well up to losing Dave Harper, but the players were forced to stand around for 10 minutes and it affected some of them. We never got back to playing the way we were and the game became a battle.

"There was nothing in it at half-time but, even allowing for the loss of Dave Harper, I was not overly impressed with the way we played in the second half."

Cheadle scored after 62 and 71 minutes and Dean Smith's cracking effort for Norton in chesting down a half-clearance and volleying the ball home from 30 yards four minutes from time was a mere consolation.

NORTON: Goodwin, Davies, Harper, Diskin, Drummond, Mills, McDonald, Smith, Marren, Dundas, Rutter. Subs: Colclough, Talbot, Winkle.

Attendance: 65.