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Arngrove Northern League Division 2
Tuesday, 09 October 2007
A great result for Sunderland RCA to celebrate the launch of their new partnership with GENTOO. A good crowd, including a good contingent from GENTOO, had turned out in pretty awful weather, but the omens before the game were realistically not good. A team being rebuilt week by week, a poor result against Prudhoe, and now a game against a side who had won seven and drawn one of their eight League games to date. This had some fearing a very tough night.
How wrong can you be? Left back Mathew Raine started things rolling for RCA after only seven minutes, when he rocketed a 25 yard shot through the keeper's hands as he latched onto a ball knocked out of the area from a corner. This was something special for the lad's first goal for the club! Goals from Ash Davis with a neat header, and Lee Owens with a far post finish, both again with their first goals for the club, saw RCA into a comfortable 3-0 lead inside the first half hour. However, debutant Matt Hyson, signed the day previously from Spennymoor Town, and who had looked very solid at the back alongside evergreen, play anywhere, stalwart Simon Andrews, was then sent off for a second bookable offence a minute before the break, to leave RCA facing 45 minutes with 10 men.
Guisborough produced the expected barrage at the start of the second period, but found goal keeper Craig Shileds in tremendous form, pulling off three top class saves. It was not all one-way traffic, as Gary Shields, James Dickinson and Lee Owens showed great pace on the break to keep the Guisborough defence on their toes, ably prompted by the returning Karl Jarvis in midfield. Perhaps they took the caution too far, as Gary, playing as a lone striker, often found himself with three or even four defenders for company.
An unfortunate mistake by Si Andrews gave the Teessiders a little hope, but within five minutes Si put things right himself, with a great turn and shot in the box to restore the three goal margin. RCA played out time without further alarms, and could have scored again as they burst forward against a visibly deflated Guisborough team.