Bedlington Terriers FC 4 Sunderland RCA FC 1

Saturday, 22 October 2011

FA Vase 1st Round Proper

The Bedlington keeper punches clear as RCA try to come back from 2 - 1 down.

Click here for a slideshow of photos from the match.

RCA were away to Bedlington Terriers FC in FA Vase in what was billed by many to be the tie of the round in the North East.

The management team were forced into a number of changes as Ian Maddison failed a late fitness test, Carl Beasley’s wife was in labour, leading scorer Mark Davison was on holiday and the shock news that Marc Ellison wanted to move to Shildon meant he had ruled himself out of the game. John Butler, Andrew Cuthbertson and Andrew Jennings were brought in as replacements with Steven Jones moving inro a central defensive role.

After last week's excellent display against Whitley Bay more of the same was expected.

From the first whistle Bedlington went on the attack and forced a corner in the first minute. The ball was whipped into the area and Flynn sent a powerful header over the bar. Hoggeth was called upon a minute later when Shandran cut the ball back to Bowey on the edge of the box and his low shot was saved at the foot of the post. Bedlington danger man Shandran was on hand again this time having a go himself, but the ball flew wide of the far post.

As the game settled down RCA started to make inroads into the Bedlington defence and a flick from Jennings found Owens, but his effort was scrambled away. Jennings then did well to retrieve the ball near the goal line, but his cross was easily cut out by Novak.

Both teams were playing some good football at this point, but it was Bedlington who looked to be posing the greatest danger when going forward.

It was Graham who gave Bedlington the lead in the 20th minute when a ball over the RCA defence found Graham one-on-one with the keeper and he produced an inch perfect chip over Hoggeth and into the empty net.

RCA’s problems were doubled a minute later as Graham headed the ball into the path of Hubbard who fired home a first time volley from the edge of the box. The Terriers at this stage looked in great form and RCA were being blown away by the attacking play of their opponents. They almost went further ahead when a cross from Elliott found that man Graham again on the edge of the box, but this time his first time effort came back off the Bar and was cleared.

RCA came back towards the end of the half and Walton got in a good cross which found Owens at the far post, but the RCA striker needed to long on the ball and was closed down by Elliott.

At half time Bedlington were certainly worth the two goal lead and RCA never looked like a table topping team.

The second half started with Bedlington straight on the attack and it only took five minutes of the second half for them to extend their lead when they were awarded a penalty when Jennings was alleged to have caught Novak - very dubious as the defender went over very easily. Shandran stepped up to score his 20th goal of the season, sending Hoggeth the wrong way in the process.

This looked to rejuvenate RCA and they, for the first time in the match, got going as an attacking force and it was Jennings who scored when he deflected a Walton shot into the bottom corner.

RCA, possibly thinking of the comeback last, started to put pressure on the Bedlington goal. Walton crossed into the box and found Stewart at the far post, but his effort was well saved by the Keeper. Within a minute Owens got the better of Flynn for the first time in the match and his effort went narrowly wide, a second goal at this stage of the game would have put a different complection on the game.

As the half wore on RCA were the more dominant and only a finger tip save by Morton denied Richards his firct goal of the season.

With time running out RCA threw caution to the wind and went all out attack leaving only two defenders to look after the three man attack of the Terriers and they paid the ultimate price when they were caught well into injury time as a ball across the edge of the box found English in space, and with only the keeper to beat he produced a clinical finish.

Bedlington deserved to go through on this performance and good luck to them in the next round.