By Brian Bennett
Ashington lynchpin Scott Lowery has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The tall defender has been sidelined since the middle of October with a knee problem but has now received the diagnosis: “The injury happened in the first half of the home game against North Ferriby,” said Lowery who will celebrate his 30th birthday next week, “I felt a pop in my knee and the initial pain was pretty bad. However I played the rest of the match and was okay – until I woke up the following morning and couldn’t move! I thought it was something which I had twisted or jolted and I tried to return to training after a month but the knee popped again. I’ve had an MRI scan and I’ve torn the posterior cruciate ligament in the back of my right knee.”
Ashington-born Lowery continued: “It’s not a full rupture or fully severed but is a grade two tear. I think surgery was an option but it can basically heal by itself with rest and restrengthening. Kev Chapman, the club’s physiotherapist has given me some workout plans to do and I could probably catch the last couple of games of the campaign. However for the long run it’s better off maybes strengthening it a bit more and not forcing things and looking to come back next season.”
Cramlington-based Lowery added: “I’m devastated. It’s a lonely place being injured because you forget just how much you see the lads which is twice a week at training – unless we have a midweek match – plus a Saturday. I do try to support the lads as much as I can but when I watch the games, I’m kicking every ball and jumping for every header.”
He went on: “It’s so tough watching because all I want to do is to be playing and helping the lads as much as I can and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than back out on the pitch to be honest.”