Sunderland RCA 1 Prudhoe Town 0

skilltraining Northern League

17 January 2009

RCA had two new faces on show for the game at home to Prudhoe, and another two on the bench, as manager Hixon prepared for the hectic spell of games to come by boosting his squad. Making a welcome return to the club was last year's captain, Scott Richards in midfield, and making a club debut was Wyn Fremlin on the right wing. Dave Henderson, joining from Tow Law was on the bench alongside Sean Joseph who has come to us from Northallerton.

There was a familiar face or two in the stand, but no doubt more of that later!

Missing from the previous game was Andy Jennings who is away, while Anth Laidler had to make do with a seat on the bench this time. RCA lined up in their familiar 3-5-2 formation, with Gary Shields moving from front to back to partner Mark Davison up front. Prudhoe came in to the game boosted by ceditable draws in their last two fixtures and made a decent start, and could have gone ahead within a minute or two as a ball broke in the box, but was scrambled clear.

The game settled into a steady pattern of midfield scrimmaging with Prudhoe, playing down the bank working hard to frustrate Buddy and Scott in midfield, but already the combination of Scott's running power and Buddy's steadiness on the ball looked very promising as a partnership. There were a few chances at either end: Wyn Fremlin made a number of good runs and his added width looked to balance the side well, but Prudhoe also created a chance or two.

Adam McGuiness made an excellent long break and created a shooting chance for himself, Richards fired just over, a good tackle stopped Sparky, and we made it to half time with honours even, but RCA were looking forward to playing down the bank in the second half.

The second half started with RCA camped in the Prudhoe half of the field and making good positions without creating many clear chances. Prudhoe continued to work hard in denying us clean possession, but the impression grew that it was only a matter of time until we made the breakthrough and one goal would lead to more. But time got on and it wouldn't come. Sparky had chances, the keeper made a great one handed save from one of the. Hicker took off Fremlin who had done well on his debut, and Adsy McGuinness, and gave debuts to Sean (Taz) Joseph and David Henderson and the pressure increased and increased. Taz, looking a quality left winger, put over a number of good crosses from the by-line, which were cleared or scrambled away, and Dave Henderson was very busy on the right.

It looked as if it would never come until in the 87th minute Andy Reay, by now playing as an auxiliary centre forward, claimed a header was over the line from another Sean Joseph cross, while Sparky seized on the keeper's half clearance and powered a header into the roof of the net for his 11th goal of the season. Relief all round, but hard lines on a very spirited and hard working Prudhoe team who never resorted to kicking people. This valuable three points lifts us into the top half of the table. Tally ho!