West Allotment Celtic 2 Sunderland RCA 0

Saturday, 5 March 2011

STL Northern League Division 1

Click here for a slideshow of photos from the match - selection of 29 photos

Click here for a slideshow of photos from the match - 80 photos

Sunderland RCA travelled to Whitley Park for a challenging fixture against third bottom West Allotment Celtic. RCA manager Neil Hixon, who was without regulars Richie Logan and Keith Graydon, named a side with only one change from the eleven who overcame Billingham Synthonia with Scott Richards coming in for the aforementioned Graydon.

RCA were bright from the kick off and after two minutes of play created the game's first opening. A long ball from the back released Martin Smith who got in behind the West Allotment Celtic defence. With the keeper rushing out of his area Smith elected to lift the ball over the top of him. The effort, however, was meandering wide but John Toft was able to collect at the edge of the six-yard box and, cutting back inside the defender who was committed to the challenge, Toft had the goal at his mercy to pick his spot. The forward’s effort was poor, directed straight at the man on the line and the West Allotment Celtic defence was eventually able to clear.

RCA continued to pressure the West Allotment Celtic goal and looked likely to be the side to open the scoring. Good chances for Joe Walton and Smith were not taken and Toft again wasted one of RCA’s best openings when he took Walton’s low cross first time but failed to make the right connection.

West Allotment Celtic were only attacking occasionally on the break without much success. From Oates' challenge the referee awarded a very dubious freekick that put RCA on the back foot. The free kick was in a perfect position for the right footer to deliver a dangerous ball into the middle, but he elected to shoot and his goalward effort crashed off the underside of the bar leaving RCA goalkeeper Gary Hoggeth stranded and Craig Scott with a simple header to open the scoring.

West Allotment Celtic got their second again on the counter. The ball into the left channel was misjudged by the RCA defence and with players pushed up they were left exposed. Collecting the ball Paul Gardiner was able to cut inside and fired past Hoggeth into the bottom corner.

Harrison Davies had been causing West Allotment Celtic all sorts of problems during the first half. He had comfortably had the beating of his marker on a number of occasions, but failed to deliver a telling ball. In a moment of inspiration Davies got in behind the defence, drove into the area and delivered a elegant chip that deceived players on both sides. The West Allotment Celtic goalkeeper was forced to stand and watch as Davies effort floated over the top of him and dropped slowly towards the top corner clipping the crossbar and falling fortunately for a spectating West Allotment Celtic defender to clear.

In the second period RCA continued press eventually switching to an ambitiously unconventional 3-3-4 formation. The introduction of Paul Taylor for Toft gave RCA some extra pace in attack. Taylor was quickly into the game showing the nerves of the West Allotment Celtic backline and coming close to latching onto a couple of through balls. Taylor’s big chance came after the hour mark. Running onto a through ball Taylor rounded the advancing West Allotment Celtic goalkeeper but, in the moment needed to adjust his feet, allowed a West Allotment Celtic defender time to get back onto the line and clear his eventual shot.

While pushing men forward RCA were susceptible to attacks on the break, but West Allotment Celtic were unable to take advantage. RCA continued to create chance in the last ten minutes, but could not find the vital finish. A goalmouth scramble with around five minutes left presented a chance to Taylor whose effort was desperately stopped by the flailing arm of the West Allotment Celtic goalkeeper. The resulting ball bounced high up into the air across the untendered goalmouth and Walton, under challenge, met the ball for what should have been a simple finish, but his header went wide.

Some poor and incoherent officiating on the day affected the flow of the game and, in the case of one or two of the inconsistent bookings, made the game seem more undisciplined than perhaps it was. After taking the two goal lead West Allotment Celtic seemed happy to sit back and some extensive and cynical use of timewasting over both halves of play was not in the sprit of how the match should have been played.