York City midfielder Hiram Boateng appeared to strike a fan after being held to the ground following the side’s 1–1 draw against Rochdale, which saw the Yorkshire club secure promotion to League Two.
Despite Man City and Southampton putting on a thoroughly entertaining display at Wembley in the first FA Cup semi-final of the weekend on Saturday, arguably the most dramatic game of the weekend was played at the Crown Oil Arena in Rochdale.
Rochdale started the day second in the National League, knowing only a win would see them promoted to League Two, while avoiding defeat would have been enough for the visitors.
After a cagey 90 minutes, the game sprang into life during second-half stoppage time, with Emmanuel Dieseruvwe nodding the home side ahead in the fifth minute, prompting a pitch invasion from Rochdale fans.
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Shortly after the supporters returned to their seats, many were simply waiting for the final whistle as they looked forward to celebrations, but there was a twist.
In the 13th minute of stoppage time, Josh Stones met a looped ball before squeezing it over the line to make it 1–1 and secure his side’s promotion to the English Football League in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Despite totalling 106 points, Rochdale will now enter the play-offs alongside Carlisle United, Boreham Wood, Scunthorpe United, Southend United and Forest Green Rovers.
After the game, footage of a tussle between a number of supporters and York midfielder Hiram Boateng went viral.
Boateng appeared to be momentarily pinned to the floor by a man before returning to his feet, while a steward and several others intervened.
The midfielder then punched the man in the face before the fan fell to the floor as the video cuts off.
It is unclear what happened before and after the clip. It also remains unclear whether the player will face any form of punishment.
A similar incident occurred between former Goole captain Karl Colley and a fan in 2014, with the player attempting to attack a rival supporter before being sacked by the Northern Premier League First Division South side, although the circumstances in which the incidents occurred were different.
Colley was suspended for nine months and fined £150.
Topics: League Two
Luke Davies