Alex Langley blocks a first half Whitley Bay shot.
We continue on our travels, this time through the Tyne Tunnel to play Whitley Bay at their Hillheads Park ground, in this EBAC Northern League Division I fixture.
The pre match warm up became problematic for RCA with both Goundry (illness) and Turns (ankle injury) pulling out of the starting eleven to be replaced by Bowmaker and Langley before a ball was kicked.
RCA welcomed back Greg Swansbury who captained the side, with Hassane Younis and Lee Robinson making their club debuts.
Whitley Bay, under the leadership of manager Nick Gray, are pushing for a top 4 place and after a poor 2021-22 season have turned it around and are real contenders for promotion.
The teams lined up as follows:
Whitley Bay: Lister, Lowery, Porritt, Turnbull, Hall ©, Hutchinson, Ward, Neary, Davison, Geliher, Millington. Subs: Gilchrist, Richardson, Eastway, Young.
Sunderland RCA: Wilkinson, Bowmaker, Langley, Lennox, Swansbury, Trewick, Leonard, Younis, Pinder, Bruton, Ene. Subs: Robinson, Herdman, Johnson, Turns, Goundry.
The persistent rain of the early evening subsided and a pleasant, if bitterly cold, evening greeted the players onto the pitch.
Whitley Bay started well, forcing RCA to defend with Wilkinson having to make an early save from a shot by Neary to stop the home team taking the lead inside the first minute
In the fifth minute, Porritt’s crossfield ball was picked up by Ward who hit a low cross into the box but Lennox was on hand to clear the danger.
RCA’s first attacking move saw Ene and Trewick combine before Ene crossed into the box for Pinder but the ball glanced off the striker's head and went out for a goalkick.
Whitley Bay took the lead in the 15th minute when a long ball forward by Turnbull was picked up by Millington who managed to wriggle between two defenders before guiding the ball beyond the reach of Wilkinson and into the net.
Millington was in the thick of it a minute later when a cross into the box from Ward wasn’t cleared properly and fell to him with time and space he hit a well struck shot which smashed against the bar and the RCA defence cleared up field.
A wicked cross into the box from Porritt was headed wide by Lowery as Whitley Bay continued to press forward looking for a second goal. To their credit RCA were defending extremely well.
Bruton almost caused an upset when he picked up a through ball from Trewick, moved into space before crossing into the box for Pinder but his shot was blocked and the loose ball was cleared by Hall.
Whitley Bay were playing some good possession football but were not causing and major problems for the RCA back line.
A freekick on the right by Ward was headed clear by Bowmaker and Younis broke forward, giving the ball to Ene who cut inside but his cross into the box meant for Bruton drifted out for a goalkick.
With half an hour gone and the score still at 1-0 the home team were starting to look a little frustrated sending long balls forward which were easy pickings for Swansbury and Bowmaker. They were getting more success with short balls through the midfield and a lovely through ball from Millington fell to Porritt who fired in a low shot which went wide of the far post.
Another great chance for “The Bay” fell to Ward who broke past his marker but couldn’t hit the target drilling his shot wide of the post.
Stoic defending by the RCA rearguard has kept the score to 1-0 at half time.
A quite start to the second half with no chances created by either team until the hour mark when a brilliant run by Ward was spotted by Turnbull who put the ball into his path but he fired over the bar from a promising position.
The game was flowing a little better now as the game opened up but neither team seemed capable of producing the final ball that would cut open the respective defences.
However all that changed in the 69th minute when a cross from the right by Lowery fell awkwardly at the back post and Millington was the first to react to the loose ball, stabbing it home from close range.
Both teams made substitutions to bring fresh legs into the game.
Whitley Bay should have killed the game off in the 76th minute when Davison latched onto a Lowery through ball but he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
In the 82nd minute an injury to Hutchinson forced him out of the game and with all substitutes used Whitley Bay were forced to play the remaining eight minutes with 10 men.
The home team looked to run down the clock with some good possession play and a ball into the box by Richardson was picked up by Eastway but his shot was brilliantly blocked by Swansbury at the expense of a corner.
RCA in the last five minutes, understandably, had their best spell of the game. A run down the left by Ene opened up space to pass the ball to Robinson who brought in Trewick, his through ball to Pinder was blocked by Hall and the danger was averted.
In the final minute RCA pushed forward and Trewick and Robinson combined in midfield to get the ball forward to Johnson who hit a goal bound shot which was deflected for RCA’s first corner of the match. Unfortunately they were unable to take it as the referee blew his whistle for full time.
This was another very spirited performance by the RCA team from back to front they all performed at their best.
We have four games left of a very difficult season and we need to rally around Swaz, Gee and the rest of the backroom staff to ensure our survival in the first division. It is in our hands.
Our next match is away to Newton Aycliffe on Saturday, 1 April 2023. Kick off 3.00pm.