Joe Lennox fends off a first half Northallerton attack.
'A Life of Pie', the Northern League blog is here.
This was a fourth consecutive away tie for the RCA youngsters and a long trip to Northallerton Town to face another club who are struggling at the wrong end of the table. After the heavy defeat at Heaton Stannington at the week end, RCA took up the offer of ex Manager Martin Swales to come back as manager to the end of the season.
Martin brought with him Gee Errington, and recruited Craig Hodgson, Matty Wilkinson and George Pinder to help out.
Disaster struck for RCA during the warm up with Goundry pulling up and being replaced by Richardson with Henderson called upon to go on the bench.
The teams lined up as follows:
Northallerton Town: Taylor, Ryder, Hope, Cocks, Burn, Graham ©, Stapley, Parker, Waters, E Henderson, Roberts. Subs: Chidanyika, Jones, Snook, Jackson.
Sunderland RCA: Wilkinson, Lennox, Richardson, Paul, Bowmaker, Hodgson ©, Langley, Hubbard, Pinder, Robinson, Turns. Subs; Johnson, Chappell, Henderson, Tait, Grainger.
The game kicked off with Northallerton quickly on the attack and winning a freekick in the opening minute on the edge of the box, Parker stepped up and curled a shot towards the top corner of the goal but Wilkinson was equal to it tipping the ball over the bar for a corner. The corner was whipped in and Graham was on hand, glancing his header wide of the upright.
RCA responded immediately when Turns slipped a great through ball into the path of Pinder he moved forward into the box but took a touch too many and his shot was blocked by Graham.
Unfortunately RCA fell behind to a well worked move inside ten minutes; a ball forward by Ryder was picked up by Parker who played the ball to E Henderson before connecting with the return pass to smash home from inside the box.
The visitors were finding it difficult to contain the surging runs of Stapley with the diminutive winger a constant threat on the left. And in the 16th minute he was allowed space to cross into the box and Waters met the cross heading it down and forcing a superb save from Wilkinson somehow palming the downward header over the bar.
RCA were more threatening up front than in their previous three matches and only a good save from Taylor prevented Richardson from equalising and a minute later Hodgson played the ball forward to Pinder who chipped the ball on to Robinson but Taylor was quick to react and managed to save at the feet of the RCA striker.
As the half wore on the Northallerton team seemed to get stronger as RCA tired. A cross into the box by Stapley was heading for Waters but Paul, with a last ditch tackle and clearance, saved the day.
E Henderson then had a great chance as he broke forward but his shot was blocked by Richardson and Hodgson calmed things at the back taking the ball away from the danger zone.
In the final minutes of the half RCA were awarded a corner which was taken by Turns, which he curled toward the near post where both Hope and Taylor left and luckily for them the ball curled onto the outside of the post and out for a goalkick.
Whatever was said at half time by the Northallerton town manager worked wonders as they rampaged through the RCA defence and opening them up at will. In the 50th minute a right wing cross by Stapley was met by E Henderson who deftly steered the ball into the net.
Within a minute the home team went 3-0 up when a cross from Stapley was only half cleared to E Henderson who laid the ball back to substitute Chidanyika who drilled a low shot just inside the post.
RCA were struggling to come to terms with the injection of pace in the Northallerton team and were grateful when a Snook header from a Roberts cross hit the post and rebounded to safety.
Unfortunately the fourth goal was not long in coming as on the hour mark, another Roberts whipped cross was side-footed home by Parker inside the six yard box.
To their credit RCA didn’t give up and battled back into the game.
Their battling qualities were rewarded when Turns broke down the left wing and sent in a perfect cross for Pinder to head home under extreme pressure from the Northallerton keeper.
Two minutes later and Pinder almost grabbed a second when a cross into the box by Langley caused problems in the home defence and Pinder managed to volley the ball towards goal but Ryder managed to deflect the ball wide of the target, the resulting corner was headed over the bar by Paul.
As the game drifted into the final minutes the game, although end to end, did not create any further major chances and the game ended at 4-1 to the home team.
Next up for RCA a home game against Redcar Athletic on Saturday, 25 February 2023. Kick off 3.00pm.