26 August 2009
skilltrainingltd Northern League Division 2
Sunderland RCA FC celebrated their 1,000th Northern League game with an emphatic win over Hebburn Town FC. Before the match Sunderland RCA's captain for the night, Paul Wardle, was presented with a silver salver from League Chairman Mike Amos MBE for reaching the milestone of playing 1,000 Northern League games.
RCA started the game in a determined mood and maintained a high tempo to their game that could not be matched by Hebburn. They took the lead after four minutes when a cross from Richards was headed home by McBryde. RCA for all their supremacy could not capitalise on some poor Hebburn defending and it was the home side who almost equalised when Myers burst into the box and rolled the ball to Armstrong who blasted the ball wide from five yards out.
This was the wake up call that RCA needed and they extended their lead when Stewart beat two players on the right wing before crossing for McBryde to score his second. RCA were in total control of the game now and when Coghlan found Davies on the left with a great ball he had time to beat the full back before crossing an inch perfect return pass to Coghlan who steered the ball past Donaldson from 8 yards out. 2 minutes later and Richards won the ball in midfield, passed the ball to Coghlan who unleashed a shot from 30 yards which hit the post with the keeper beaten.
RCA were making their aerial supremacy count and it was no suprise when Davison made it 4-0 when he headed in a cross from Davies. The same player then headed over the bar after some good work by Richards. He made amends a minute later when he received the ball from Richards on the 18 yard line with his back to goal, turned and fired a shot into the bottom corner to make it 5-0.
Hebburn scored in the 44th minute when a rare lapse in the RCA defence allowed Myers in and he passed to Gordon who fired into the net.
Hebburn started the second half a lot better than the first and had two goal attempts in as many minutes with McMann firing wide and then over the bar from 10 yards out. However, the difference in the finishing was highlighted when Davison completed his hat trick, rising above everybody else, to power a header into the net. Not to be outdone, McBryde picked up a through ball from Richards, burst between two players before burying the ball in the Hebburn net for his hat trick. The night was complete when yet another cross from the right was headed home from close range by Davison for his fourth and RCA's 8th.
A thoroughly impressive team performance on a special night for the club.
