Recent signing Matthew Stephenson in action during the first half of the match.
A warm welcome to Heaton Stannington for their first ever visit to Sunderland LGV Park for this EBAC Northern League Division I fixture.
After an indifferent start to their campaign in the first division they have quickly adapted and their results lately have been very impressive as have their crowds. Oh! To have that sort of support in Ryhope, not that we can decry the very loyal support that we do have week in week out both home and away.
An excellent win last week against Ashington gave the team a much needed morale boost but again suspensions and work commitments disrupted the team selection.
The management team was forced into making three changes to the team that did so well last week with Lawrence, Morris and Jakab replacing Charlton (Injured), Trewick (Work) and Fryatt (Suspended).
The teams lined up as follows:
Sunderland RCA: Marrs, Allen, Lawrence, M Stephenson, Jakab, Nelson, Bennett, Moan, Davison, Hawkins, Morris. Subs: Annang-Colquhoun, Lavery, Ene, Hall, Richards.
Heaton Stannington: Purvis, Evans, Hornsby, Cassidy, Turnbull, Shepherd ©, Lashley, Burn, Anderson, D Stephenson, Walker. Subs: Proctor, Flynn, Cowburn, Lamb, Taylor.
RCA started the game kicking toward the Beechbrooke end of the ground but were unable to mount any serious attacks kicking down the slope with the visitor’s well drilled defence easily coping with the initial threat.
The opening 10 minutes were a game of cat and mouse as both teams got to grips with each other.
The game burst into life when RCA were awarded a corner on the left, the ball was swung to the far post where Jakab’s downward header was cleared off the line by Hornsby, the ball rebounded to Moan who drove the ball toward goal only for it to strike a defender and the follow up shot from Davison struck the inside of the post before being cleared.
Shepherd picked up the clearance from the goalmouth scramble and played the ball forward to Lashley who outpaced the RCA defence before cutting inside and unleashing a terrific shot which Marrs had no chance with as it thundered into the top corner.
RCA looked to pick up from this setback playing some good attacking football. A good ball forward by Allen was picked up by Davison but his run into the box was stopped by Shepherd.
The home team drew level in the19th minute when M Stephenson played the ball out to Nelson on the right wing and his cross into the box was met by Bennett who headed the ball beyond the reach of Purvis and into the net.
Within minutes it could easily have been 2 – 1 to RCA when a through ball from Nelson was collected by Bennett who chipped the ball over the advancing Purvis, the ball bounced inside the six yard area and bounced onto the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick.
Back came the visitors, a freekick on the half way line next to the dugouts was whipped into the box by Cassidy and unbelievably evaded everyone in the penalty area and skipped through for a goal kick.
Within a minute RCA took the lead, Marrs lofted a long ball forward which was expertly controlled on the edge of the box by Morris who laid the ball into the path of Davison who smashed the ball into the top corner of the net.
RCA continued to press forward looking to extend their lead and some excellent interplay between Nelson, Moan and Allen almost produced the goods when the final ball into the box was met my Morris but he drove his shot wide.
With a minute to go to half time RCA’s nemesis Lashley got away again beating the offside trap before making ground and placing his shot into the top corner of the net, a top class finish from a player in form.
The visitors started brightly in the second half taking advantage of the slope to push men forward, however, RCA’s defence held firm.
A corner from the right to Heaton Stannington and the ball was driven into the box where it was met by Shepherd who hit a close range shot which Marrs somehow managed to palm to safety a terrific save from RCA’s No 1.
The game was opening up with both teams looking for the winner and when RCA were awarded a freekick 35yards out there looked to be little if any real danger but Bennett had other ideas hitting the sweetest of freekick’s straight into the top corner of the net. This was definitely a contender for the RCA goal of the season.
RCA appeared to be getting on top and the visitors were having to defend in number, but as had happened already in the game when a team looked to be on top they conceded and so it was again with another Lashley run on the right ending with a superb cross into the box for Proctor to side foot home from close range.
Two minutes later they were 4 – 3 up, a log ball out of defence by D Stephenson was picked up by Proctor inside the RCA penalty area and he played the ball to square to Anderson 12 yards out and he drilled a low shot out of reach of Marrs and into the net.
There was still 20 minutes to go in this pulsating match and the chances kept coming at both end of the park.
In the 75th minute a through ball from M Stephenson was partially cleared to Jakab who struck a terrific shot at goal which Purvis managed block, the ball fell to Bennett but he headed over the bar from eight yards out.
RCA were then awarded a freekick 25 yards out which was taken by Lavery, he curled the ball onto Davison’s head but he couldn’t direct it on target and it landed on the roof of the net.
At the other end a long ball forward was met by substitute Cowburn but his first time effort went over the bar.
The home team continued to press forward and a almost scored in the dying minutes when a Morris cross from the right was met by Annang-Colquhoun but his looping header hit the top of the cross bar and out for a goal kick.
Once again the lads performed fantastically and contributed to a pulsating match which to be honest could have ended 8-8 and nobody could have complained. RCA were unlucky not to come away with at least a point from this game, the woodwork denying them on at least three occasions. A fantastic endorsement of EBAC Northern League football.
Yet another difficult encounter awaits the team next week when we play Newcastle Benfield away on Friday, 9 December 2022. kick off 7:30pm.