5 January 2013

EBAC Northern League Division 1

Goalscorers: SRCA: Shaw 2 Guerin-Lokonga Guisborough Town: L Wood, G Wood, Poole.

Please click here for Sky Tyne and Wear video highlights.

No new signings for today's visit of Guisborough. However the same old problems materialised during the game, decent going forward but defensively very poor.  

RCA were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, threw away the lead with inept defending, were losing 3-2 with two minutes to go and only a determined run and finish from Aris saved a point.

Supporters will believe that this was two points thrown away rather than a point won.

The performance of the backroom staff to get this game on were truly tested at Meadow Park ahead of the game against Giusborough Town. A power cut two hours before kick off was sorted out with minutes to spare before the officials arrived at the ground.

The game kicked off on a very soft pitch with RCA kicking against the slope having lost the toss.

Guisborough, with the advantage of the slope poured forward in the early stages but didn't appear to have brought their  shooting boots as first Roberts fired well wide then Luke Bytheway followed suit.

In their first real attack Shaw clipped in a ball towards, Monson who tried to round Dixon in the Guisborough goal and the ball was cleared by Bishop.

RCA looked to have withstood the Guisborough pressure and when a goalkick was headed on by Cutts it fell to Guerin-Lokonga who sent a first time ball on to Shaw wand the winger slotted the ballpast the advancing Dixon and into the far corner of the net.

A minute later Guerin-Lokonga received a ball from Close, cut back inside before curling a shot inches wide.

In the 17th minute RCA were 2-0 up as they tore through the Guisborough defence with ease, Guerin-Lokonga once again linked up with Shaw and once again the winger showed great composure as he passed the ball into the corner of the net.

Guisborough had a ball kicked off the line by Buzzeo when Gell headed a long throw goalwards. Then O'Sullivan had a long range shot deflected goalwards but Graham was able to adjust his dive to make the save.

Brilliant build up play between Monson, Guerin-Lokonga and Kane looked likely to open up the Guisborough defence again but a timely interception by Poole broke up the move.

In the 43rd minute Guisborough were thrown a life-line when they were awarded a dubious penalty when Parker was adjudged to have fouled Roberts who looked to slip before falling over, Poole stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way.

The second half opened with a shot from Roberts going just over the bar afetr he had been set up by Gell. Cutts then blasted a freekick wide from 25 yards.

Guisborough were taking the game to RCA and a shot from L Woods was deflected for a corner, RCA didn't fully defend the corner as it was cleared only as far as Bishop who squared the ball to L Woods his shot which looked to be covered by Graham took a wicked deflection into the opposite corner to level the scores.

RCA should have taken the lead when Guerin-Lokonga was sent clear by Close but his shot was tipped round the post by Dixon.

It was Guisborough who then took the lead in bizzarre circumstances, substitute G Woods picked up the ball on the right wing and from 40 yard out crossed the ball over a crowd of players, whether anyone got a touch or not was immaterial as the ball sailed into the net and G Woods claimed the goal.

RCA levelled in the 88th minute when M.O.M Close split the Guisborough defence with an inch perfect pass which Guerin-Lokonga despatched past Dixon and into the net.

Next up Bishop in the Durham Challenge Cup. Any bets on new players in before Tuesday and a new look defence. 

 

   

 

Hard working forward meets strong defender in the first half of the match.

12 January 2013

EBAC Northern League Division 1

Goalscorers: Aycliffe:  Young, Earl.

Please click here for photos from the match.

Please click here for match photos in Aycliffe Today.

A depleted RCA squad took on a Newton Aycliffe side who had recorded six wins in their last 9 games, a far cry from the catostophic opening to the season.

Defenders, Preston and Buzzeo were unavailable and were replaced by Henderson and Beasley.

The first half was unbelievably innocuous with little in the way of attacking flair from either team and both defences looking solid. the only chance of the first half fell to Aycliffe when a misplaced pass was intercepted by Lambert and he sent an inch perfect pass to Reay but Graham was quickly off his line to make a terrific save.

The half time whistle came as a relief to most spectators who had witnessed a rather dull a uneventful match thus far.

The second half opened with a bang as RCA pushed forward in an effort to liven the match up, Close played in Shaw and as the winger went round Pocklington he was clearly caught before the Keeper made contact with the ball and a penalty was awarded.

Owens stepped up and his weak effort was easily saved low down to his right. 

Guerin-Lokonga linked up with Cutts who burst into the box, Cleverly beat the defender and then tried to curl a shot into the far corner of the net, unfortunately the ball struck the post and rebounded to safety.

Aycliffe took heart from these misses and launched themselves onto the offensive, Reay was causing all sorts of  problems down the right and when RCA failed to clear a cross into the area the ball fell to Owen who volleyed the ball narrowly wide of the upright.

Aycliffe made a double substitution and this looked to change the course of the game as within minutes they took the lead, RCA failed to deal with a cross into the box and it fell to the influential Young who blasted the ball home from the edge of the box.

RCA were totally rocked by this goal and never looked likely to recover, Aycliffe's defence was well in command of the RCA attackers and Pocklington in goal was in no mood to concede today.

In the 78 minute RCA's fate was complete when Hughes raced past the RCA token effort at defending before cutting the ball back into the path of Earl who clinically fired from 12 yards out. Earl almost added to his and Aycliffe's tally in the dying minutes when he was clean through but his shot was well saved by Graham.

A below par performance from the whole team, the penalty miss probably summed up the whole afternoon.

We will need to do a lot better in the next two games if we want to reach the next round of the Durham Challange Cup and the management will be asking for a hugely improved performance against Darlington 1883 next Saturday.